The mood had threatened to turn ugly just seconds before, but the Blues went in at the break with a massive injection of confidence.
They started the second half much brighter and in the 63rd minute Arteta helped conjure up a second goal.
Yakubu held the ball up well and sprayed a pass wide to the left for Arteta to race onto. The little Spaniard carried the ball to the byline and clipped back an inviting cross which Yakubu raced onto and planted a firm header beyond the helpless Robinson.
Goodison erupted, but barely 60 seconds later the celebrations were silenced by a sloppy Blackburn equaliser.
There appeared minimal danger when a long ball was launched into the Everton penalty area, but Joleon Lescott was caught napping and Santa Cruz darted ahead of him, drew Howard and clinically slipped the ball under the American keeper.
EVERTON (4-4-2): Howard; Neville, Yobo, Lescott, Valente (Baxter 75mins); Arteta, Jagielka, Rodwell, Baines; Osman, Yakubu. Unused substitutes: Turner, Jutkiewicz, Gosling, Agard, Kissock, Wallace.
BLACKBURN ROVERS (4-4-2): Robinson; Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock; Dunn (Tugay 89 mins), Mokoena, Reid, Pedersen (Treacy 75mins); Santa Cruz, Roberts (McCarthy 83 mins). Unused substitutes: Villanueva, Simpson, Derbyshire, Brown.
Referee: Andre Marriner.
Bookings: Warnock (foul) 44mins, Ooijer (foul) 58mins; Yobo (foul) 74mins, Yakubu (foul) 92 mins.
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