Benni McCarthy’s penalty, awarded after Ibrahima Sonko fouled Morten Gamst Pedersen, opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

Jason Roberts bundled home the second from close range and McCarthy turned in a third before half-time.

Roberts was denied by Stoke keeper Steve Simonsen after the break and McCarthy also shot against the post.

Allardyce will have been delighted by the endeavour and cutting edge displayed by his new team, while Stoke City’s display was the perfect illustration of why they have not won away from home in the Premier League this season.

Emile Heskey’s backheel, followed two minutes later by Valencia’s low drive, gave Wigan a perfect start as they dominated the first half.

Substitute David Dunn gave Rovers more attacking threat, but their best chance came from Ryan Taylor’s near own-goal.

And the visitors were caught off guard when Valencia’s cross fell to Lee Cattermole to wrap up a 3-0 win.

Rovers have now lost six successive league games and are without a win in 10, leaving them second from bottom.

Stephen Warnock stopped Benayoun giving Liverpool the lead before Morten Gamst Pedersen fired against the crossbar.

After half-time Alonso sidefooted past Paul Robinson to open the scoring and Benayoun shot low to double the lead.

Roque Santa Cruz’s header gave Rovers hope but Gerrard found an empty net after poor defending from the hosts.

Blackburn manager Paul Ince is likely to come under increased pressure after his side slumped to their fifth successive league defeat.

Aaron Lennon was Spurs’ inspiration and he set up the winner when he robbed Olsson, went on a run and cut the ball back for Roman Pavlyuchenko to slot in.

Pavlyuchenko almost grabbed a second when his glancing header hit a post.

Olsson was dismissed when he brought down his tormentor Lennon and received his second yellow card of the match.

The 20-year-old Swede had no answer to Lennon’s direct running and suffered a horribly embarrassing afternoon.

In contrast, Lennon produced a performance full of pace, confidence and incisiveness.

With Blackburn one place and one point above Spurs in the table before the match, there was a lot at stake for both teams.

In a one-sided first half, only keeper Paul Robinson kept Rovers in it, saving well from Anelka and Jon Obi Mikel.

However, he could do little when Anelka deflected in Jose Bosingwa’s drive.

Rovers rallied in the second half, Petr Cech saving from Jason Roberts having earlier denied Carlos Villanueva, but Anelka clipped in a second to seal it.

Blackburn took the lead with a Benni McCarthy penalty, but the South African was then sent off for a second booking.

West Brom hit back brilliantly in the second half with a Roman Bednar strike.

Jonathan Greening then threaded the ball to Ishmael Miller who spun and blasted in a goal that should have been good enough to win the game.

McCarthy levelled after heading home Brett Emerton’s corner, which Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson had come up for.

Boro had taken a 74th-minute lead when Afonso Alves smashed the ball past Robinson from the edge of the box.

Earlier Boro’s Tuncay Sanli had a overhead kick wrongly disallowed, while Jeremie Aliadiere struck the bar, while Rovers’ Roque Santa Cruz hit the post.

Brown headed in from a Rooney cross, although Blackburn claimed keeper Jason Brown had been impeded by United’s Nemanja Vidic in the build-up.

Rooney swept home a second after a blistering burst of pace from Cristiano Ronaldo down the right wing.

Blackburn rarely threatened and Carlos Tevez was denied a third by the post.

Defender Samba headed in Carlos Villanueva’s free-kick from close range to give Blackburn a deserved lead.

And Cruz doubled the score when he headed home Brett Emerton’s cross.

Newcastle produced a spirited fightback after the break and scored through a Michael Owen penalty but Geremi missed a great chance to equalise.

Caretaker coach Chris Hughton was in charge at St James’ Park with Joe Kinnear, installed as a shock interim manager on Friday, watching from the stands before he takes the reins on Monday

With the game looking like it was drifting towards a draw, Roque Santa Cruz nodded into the path of substitute Matt Derbyshire in the 84th minute.

And he met the headed pass with a crisp finish to seal all three points.

Brett Emerton rattled the frame of Mark Schwarzer’s goal just before half-time and the visitors had few real chances.