An inspired cameo by Eidur Gudjohnsen helped Tottenham to a 2-1 win over 10-man Stoke that edges Harry Redknapp\'s side another step closer to Champions League football next season.
On a day when Aston Villa, one of Spurs\' rivals for the coveted place among Europe\'s elite, needed a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Wolves, Tottenham consolidated their grip on fourth place and piled the pressure on Liverpool, who face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
With Chelsea also in action on Sunday, at Blackburn, Arsenal have the chance to go to the top of the table when they host West Ham in an early evening match.
At the other end of the table, it was a painful afternoon for both Burnley and Hull, who were left looking like strong favourites for relegation after defeats at Wigan and Portsmouth respectively.
At the Britannia Stadium, former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Gudjohnsen came off the bench to fire Spurs into the lead, 18 seconds into the second half.
And it was then the Icelander\'s cute dummy that set up Niko Kranjcar for the winner after Matthew Etherington\'s penalty had got Stoke back on level terms at a time when they were playing with a man down, Dean Whitehead having been given his marching orders after collecting a second yellow card.
Villa remain the only top-flight side unbeaten in 2010 but Martin O\'Neill\'s team needed a late equaliser from Norway striker John Carew to preserve that record at Wolves.
Carew had given Villa an early lead but Jody Craddock equalised before a James Milner own goal gave the visitors a lead they held until the final minutes, only to be denied what would have been a precious victory in their fight for survival.
The point left Wolves four points clear of a relegation zone occupied by Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley.
Hull led twice at Fratton Park only to succumb to a 3-2 defeat by a Portsmouth side with only pride left to play for after the Premier League\'s imposition, earlier this week, of a nine-point penalty for the club\'s entrance into administration.
Late goals from Jamie O\'Hara and Nigerian veteran Nwankwo Kanu clinched what was only Pompey\'s fourth win of the season.
Until then, Caleb Folan\'s 73rd-minute strike had seemed set to give Iain Dowie a victory in his first match in charge of Hull after Folan\'s first effort had been cancelled out by Tommy Smith.
Wigan left it extremely late but a stoppage-time diving header by Colombian striker Hugo Rodallega was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Burnley that lifted Roberto Martinez\'s squad seven points clear of their Lancashire rivals, who have now lost 15 out of 16 away games this season.
Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar fired Everton to a 2-0 win over 10-man Bolton as the Merseysiders continued their strong recent form.
Arteta broke the deadlock after 72 minutes with a precise free-kick after last man Gretar Steinsson was sent off for a foul on Aiyegbeni Yakubu and Pienaar wrapped things up two minutes from time.
Darren Bent took his goal tally for the season to 20 with a double in Sunderland\'s 3-1 win over Birmingham, a victory that has probably moved Steve Bruce\'s side out of danger of being sucked back into the relegation battle.
Birmingham hit back after Bent\'s early strikes and Cameron Jerome pulled a goal back on the hour but the visitors were frustrated repeatedly by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordan and Fraizer Campbell\'s 88th-minute effort sealed the points.
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