Pavlyuchenko 42       Givet 90

                                                                             Crouch 69

Tottenham returned to winning ways in the EPL in emphatic style and more convincing than the final scoreline suggests, after Blackburn’s storming finish.

They were gifted two goals by poor defending. But former Spurs custodian Paul Robinson, and Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko’s profligacy, also kept the score down until Rovers’ late rally.

The Lilywhites went ahead on 16 minutes through Gareth Bale’s powerful near-post header from Rafael Van der Vaart’s right-wing corner.

Luka Modric was booked for diving in the penalty area despite being fouled by Michel Salgado. Then Spurs were awarded a spot-kick for a more innocuous challenge by Robinson on Peter Crouch on 31 minutes.

But Pavlyuchenko, who earlier missed a sitter, blasted his penalty well wide. He made amends on 42 minutes, though, heading home Bale’s fabulous left-wing cross.

Spurs were three-up on 69 minutes, Crouch firing home after Pavlyuchenko’s shot was saved and Gael Givet hesitated to clear. And Bale made it 4-0 six minutes later with a left-foot shot from Alan Hutton’s cross and Van der Vaart’s brief intervention.

Spurs were denied a rare clean sheet by Ryan Nelsen’s 80^th-minute deflection on David Dunn’s shot and Givet’s 90^th-minute left-footed strike through Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes.