Roman Pavlyuchenko scored Tottenham's first in the 11th minute and
Luka Modric added the second in the 28th as Tottenham cruised into
a comfortable lead at White Hart Lane.
But Ayegbeni Yakubu hit back for Everton in the 55th minute
and substitute Landon Donovan missed an easy close-range chance
near the end which would have earned the visitor a point.
The victory gave Tottenham 49 points from 28 games and kept
Harry Redknapp's team above Manchester City on goal difference.
City won 4-2 at Chelsea on Saturday to end the leader's 38-game
unbeaten home run in all competitions.
"Pav (Pavlyuchenko) scores goals, that's five goals in the
last two-and-a-quarter games and you can't ask more than that,"
said Tottenham manager Redknapp, who could easily have sold the
Russia striker during the January transfer window. "It's good, it
gives me a nice problem. I've got good frontmen."
Liverpool stayed sixth with 48 points from 28 matches despite
beating Blackburn 2-1 at Anfield.
Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool a 20th minute lead and,
although Keith Andrew equalized from the penalty spot in the 40th
after a handball on the ground by Jamie Carragher, Fernando Torres
scored a second for the home side in the 44th.
Villa has 45 points from 26 matches and, now with two games
in hand on Tottenham, still has a chance of finishing fourth which
means a shot at next season's Champions League.
In Sunday's other Premier League game, Sunderland drew 0-0
with Fulham.
