Chelsea moved six points clear at the top of the English Premiership table after cruising to a 4-0 victory over Norwich City on Saturday.
Second-placed Everton could only manage a goalless draw away to Blackburn Rovers, who were left just a point above the relegation zone.
But Manchester United moved a point behind third-placed champions Arsenal with a 5-2 win over drop candidates Crystal Palace in the late kick-off match at Old Trafford. Arsenal are in action at Portsmouth on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Middlesbrough — who briefly leapfrogged United — remained fifth with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa.
Down the table, Birmingham’s 4-0 thrashing of West Brom left the Baggies rock bottom, knowing no side last at Christmas has ever managed to stay in the Premiership.
Tottenham’s 5-1 win over Southampton, which included a first Premiership hat-trick for Jermain Defoe, was their fourth in a row and piled the pressure on new Saints manager Harry Redknapp.
Manchester City’s 1-0 win against Bolton took Kevin Keegan’s team into the top 10.
At their Stamford Bridge home, Chelsea’s opening three goals all came in the first half of a one-sided match.
But manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports afterwards: ”In the first half, they were a better side than us. It was difficult for us but our front players are very dangerous, they counter-attack and score goals.
”The second half was different, we had full control of the game. It’s a contradiction.
”I think we should score one goal in the first half and three in the second half.
”But that’s football. The most important thing is that we have the points.”
Damien Duff put the Londoners, who have not won a top-flight title since 1955, 1-0 up in the 10th minute when he collected a poor pass from the Canaries’ Thomas Helveg to fire past Robert Green.
Another bad pass, this time from Gary Doherty, then left England midfielder Frank Lampard free to fire home from 20 yards.
And Arjen Robben made it 3-0 a minute before the break when he capped a fine team move with a goal from the edge of the box.
Didier Drogba completed the rout seven minutes from time.
Manchester United were 2-1 up at half-time before sharing three goals with Palace in four minutes at the start of a manic second half.
Palace’s Hungarian goalkeeper, Gabor Kiraly, saved Wayne Rooney’s eighth-minute penalty before Paul Scholes put United ahead in the 22nd minute.
Five minutes later, Palace hit back through Danny Graville’s powerful strike. Ten minutes before half-time, striker Alan Smith’s header made it 2-1.
The Londoners then levelled again when Joonas Kolkka’s well-placed header left Roy Carroll flat-footed in the 46th minute.
But United rapidly regained the lead when Kiraly, who had brilliantly denied Rooney in a one-one, flapped at the ensuing cross and the ball went in off the Eagles’ Emmerson Boyce for an own-goal as Scholes challenged.
However, there was no doubting the scorer in the 49th minute when Scholes burst into the box and beat Kiraly with an early shot.
Jon O’Shea added a fifth in stoppage time.
At the Riverside, Boro collected all three points despite plenty of Villa pressure.
Former Chelsea hit man Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink put Steve McClaren’s side 1-0 up in the 20th minute when he fired in from the edge of the box and Joseph Desire Job doubled that lead in the 68th minute when he latched on to a pass from England prospect Stewart Downing.
Then Michael Reiziger made it 3-0 two minutes from time after breaking past Nolberto Solano and beating Thomas Sorensen.
At White Hart Lane, Tottenham boss Martin Jol hailed his side’s fourth straight league win.
”It’s the players, they are the ones in charge on the pitch,” the Dutchman said modestly. ”I’m very pleased. It’s all about confidence. We had three clean sheets, we were happy and I hope we go on the same way.”
Defoe opened his account in the eighth minute and then pounced on a loose ball just before the half-hour mark.
Kanoute, like Defoe formerly of West Ham, put Spurs further ahead when he beat the offside trap and slotted past Antti Niemi.
Giant Saints striker Peter Crouch pulled one back at the start of the second half before Defoe completed his hat-trick just after the hour. Republic of Ireland forward Robbie Keane wrapped up the scoring shortly before full-time.
On Sunday, Arsenal travel to Portsmouth knowing that a win will take them into second place.
But Pompey are unbeaten in the league since Redknapp left them for arch-rivals Southampton and they drew twice with the Gunners in the Premiership last season.
Sunday’s other Premiership match sees Liverpool face Newcastle while Monday’s game is a London derby between Charlton and Fulham. — Sapa-AFP