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Tottenham's recent revival under Harry Redknapp continued with a 4-2 win over Liverpool in an exhilarating Carling Cup fourth round tie at White Hart Lane.

Roman Pavlyuchenko and Fraizer Campbell both netted twice as the holders booked a place in the quarter-finals in a match that was littered with defensive errors.

Damien Plessis and Sami Hyypia replied for a much-weakened Liverpool side, before Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was carried off with a head injury.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez opted to make wholesale changes to the side that beat West Brom at the weekend with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Robbie Keane rested, while Fernando Torres returned to the starting line-up from his hamstring tear.

But it was two less celebrated strikers who lit up the night, Campbell and Pavlyuchenko making the most of playing up front together in the absence of the rested Darren Bent and Luka Modric, both of whom started on the bench.

The pair effectively settled the match during a blistering seven-minute burst just before the half-time whistle, a period that saw the hosts net three times and Liverpool fall apart.

Pavlyuchenko opened the scoring on 38 minutes, firing a hard, low drive past Diego Cavalieri after Campbell's pull back from the by-line had found the Russian on the penalty spot.

Seconds later Jamie O'Hara could have made it two, but Cavalieri was alert enough to make a smart stop to keep out his low drive.

Campbell then proved his proficiency in front of goal, nipping in ahead of Cavalieri and Andrea Dossena to control the ball on his chest before turning and coolly slotting into an empty net.

And less than three minutes later, Campbell had his second and Spurs' third of the night, heading Aaron Lennon's cross from a standing position back across Cavalieri and into the far corner of the net.

While the strike duo's finishing was exemplary, defensive frailty played a part in all three goals: Sami Hyypia was too easily beaten by Aaron Lennon to cross for Campbell, who was left entirely unmarked, for the opener; Cavalieri and Dossena failed to communicate and took each other out for the second; and Liverpool gave away possession to start the move that led to the third.

Three-nil down at half-time was bad enough, but the truth was that it could have been much worse for the visitors had Pavlyuchenko not glanced a header wide of the mark early on or Dan Agger not denied Lennon a certain goal with a splendid sliding block on 19 minutes.

Liverpool rallied after the break and pulled a goal back on 49 minutes, Plessis heading home from a corner after Gomes once again showed how badly he lacks confidence and form.

The Brazilian came off his line to claim the ball before furiously backpeddling once he realised he was not going to get anywhere near it. The young Frenchman was allowed to head into what was effectively an unguarded net.

The goal briefly lit a flame of hope for the visitors, but Spurs soon found a way through the porous Liverpool back line to net a fourth goal.

This time the breakthrough could not be blamed on poor Liverpool defending, just a good old fashioned strong run from midfield by Didier Zokora who got to the by-line before centring for Pavlyuchenko to side foot home.

Yet more flapping from Gomes - who was later stretchered off with a head injury following a collision with Philipp Degen - saw Hyypia pull another goal back with a header from a corner on 62 minutes.

The goalkeeper's indecision, as it has done already this season, could have cost Spurs dearly; Liverpool had a big penalty shout turned down by Mike Riley when Degen upended Gareth Bale in the box with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

Replays showed a penalty kick should have been awarded, but a tense final ending to the game, which was extended by nine minutes as a result of Gomes's injury, was avoided.

As it was, Spurs closed out the game without any further problems as Redknapp's presence at the club continues to make a difference.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport