Chelsea to the fore again as Defoe does trick

As if to celebrate the arrival in Britain of the rare blue robin, Chelsea went on a Christmas spree yesterday, claiming an increasingly common 4-0 victory - their fourth of this Premiership season - at the expense of Norwich City.

Damien Duff caught the Canaries on the hop after only 10 minutes when he pounced on Thomas Helveg's error to put the Blues in front. Chelsea hardly needed any help from Norwich but they accepted it anyway, Gary Docherty giving the ball away to Arjen Robben for the Dutchman to set up Frank Lampard for another superb finish.

Then Robben volleyed home after a move that bemused Norwich and it was 3-0 with half-time still a minute away. Chelsea, who stretched their lead at the top to six points courtesy of Everton's 0-0 draw at Blackburn Rovers, made do with just one more goal after the break, a prosaic strike with the substitute Didier Drogba heading home Duff's corner.

Chelsea do not seem to need another striker, but with the January transfer window imminent, Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho has been linked with a number of goalscorers. The closest to home is Jermain Defoe, who rammed home his claim for a pay rise at White Hart Lane by scoring a hat-trick as Tottenham crushed Southampton 5-1.

Two Defoe goals clear after 27 minutes, Tottenham cruised to their fourth successive League victory - their first such run since September 1995.

Frédéric Kanouté added the third just before half-time and after Peter Crouch had pulled one back Defoe completed his first hat-trick since joining Spurs and the substitute Robbie Keane added the fifth.

There was not much festive spirit from Defoe, Kanouté and the Spurs midfielder Michael Carrick as they ensured that their former manager at West Ham, Harry Redknapp, did not enjoy his second match as Southampton's manager.