Job well done: Defoe collects the match ball after scoring five of Spurs' nine [GALLO/GETTY]

Defoe stunned the hapless visitors with a mesmerising second-half blitz at White Hart Lane on Sunday after Spurs had gone in 1-0 up at the break thanks to a ninth-minute Peter Crouch header.

"The lads can't believe it," said Defoe.

"If you look at the finishing, all the goals were unbelievable. I looked over at the manager (Harry Redknapp) and he looked shocked as well.

"It's like a dream, it's brilliant."

Record haul

The result is Tottenham's biggest win in 32 years and ties with Manchester United's Premier League record nine goals in a 9-0 victory over Ipswich in March 1995.

He then netted again in the 69th and completed his tally, rocketing to the top of the English scoring charts with a right-foot shot three minutes from time as Tottenham fans sang "we want 10".

They didn't get their wish on that occasion, although previous calls for seven, eight and nine were answered.

Aaron Lennon also struck in the 64th while shell-shocked Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland added to the goal tally in the 88th when a David Bentley shot rebounded off the angle, hit him on the back and went in.

Croatia's Niko Kranjcar scored in the dying seconds to wrap up Tottenham's biggest win since 1977, when they beat Bristol Rovers 9-0 in the second division, and their biggest in the Premier League.

Controversial

Wigan's only reply was a controversial Paul Scharner goal in the 57th minute, with the player appearing to control the ball with his hand before scoring.

"The result is not normal. It's one of those freak games," said Wigan manager Roberto Martinez.

"It was too easy for them to score their first three goals.

"I'm not bothered about the final scoreline. I'm more bothered about how naive we were in one-on-one situations."

Tottenham are level on 25 points with North London rivals Arsenal but behind the Gunners on goal difference.

Defoe now has 11 league goals for the season.

Bolton lose at home

Blackburn Rovers shrugged off the absence of manager Sam Allardyce, who is awaiting heart surgery, to beat his former club Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in Sunday's lunchtime kickoff.

Victory in the Lancashire derby ended Blackburn's run of 10 successive away defeats, the team's first points on their travels this season lifting them to 11th place.

Defeat left Wanderers third from bottom.

David Dunn netted the opener in the 32nd minute, curling the ball into the top corner past the outstretched Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal.

Bolton defender Sam Ricketts then headed into his own net in the 73rd.

In the late match, Ricardo Fuller struck late in the second half to give Stoke City a 1-0 home win against Portsmouth, who had missed a first-half penalty when Thomas Sorensen saved Kevin Prince-Boateng's weak effort.