If it was a heavyweight fight, the referee would have stopped it well before the end as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink struck the blows which served as a premature knock-out blow to Tottenham's season.

To say Spurs will be sick of the sight of Chelsea after four defeats in five meetings and their second 4-0 drubbing in four days would be putting it mildly.

Indeed, their only consolation as the Blues breathed new life into their own campaign to rescue a Champions League spot is that they will not have to face Hasselbaink again.

The Dutchman was in sensational form at Stamford Bridge as the complete hat-trick - finishing with his right foot, head and left foot - took his season's tally to 27 goals. What is more, six of them have come against Tottenham.

The North London side may have experienced the high of a 5-1 Worthington Cup success seven weeks ago but it is now a distant memory.

Tottenham did not go down to a fourth defeat of the season by their London rivals without a fight. Then again, a fight was all they produced at Stamford Bridge.

The left-over bad feeling from their tempestuous cup tie last weekend led to Mauricio Taricco, who was fouled for Graeme Le Saux's red card at White Hart Lane, scything down the full-back to earn his own dismissal.

And there were also reports Tim Sherwood allegedly elbowed the perspex tunnel with such force he nearly knocked a steward over on the other side.

Otherwise, Tottenham hardly made a mark on the game at all.

Shot-shy up front, outrun in midfield and static in defence, they are a side ageing in front of their manager's eyes.

While Chelsea now lie just five points behind fourth-placed Newcastle, Spurs are a further 12 points adrift and now out of the both cups after a three-week period to forget in a hurry.

Their determination to battle their way out of a corner may have been evident in the selections of Ben Thatcher and Taricco, but not in their ensuing display.

Despite all Tottenham's early possession, Marcel Desailly was inspired at the back as Chelsea soaked up the pressure and struck with pace and precision on the counter-attack.

Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen allowed the first two openings to slip by but as Dean Richards fatally back-pedalled, it was all the invitation Hasselbaink needed to take aim from 25 yards.

While Ledley King cleared off the line soon afterwards, Richards had clearly not learned his lesson and made the same mistake again to earn a stinging rebuke from Sherwood.

This time, Hasselbaink missed the target, but he still came closer than the entire Tottenham team and even though Richards was replaced at the break, still Chelsea threatened.

Indeed, despite two brief threats by Gustavo Poyet, the visitors were soon down to 10 men and effectively out for the count.

Taricco's ugly foul on Le Saux almost caused a melee and, as he was ordered off, he hardly calmed down the baying crowd by applauding all four corners of the stadium.

Ten minutes later, however, his side paid the penalty as Chelsea responded by launching an attack down the other flank.

Racing onto Mario Melchiot's inviting ball, Jesper Gronkjaer delivered an inch-perfect cross for Hasselbaink and, in space yet again, the Dutchman comfortably headed home.

Ferdinand's inability to reach Christian Ziege's inviting cross contrasted cruelly with Hasselbaink's consummate, curled finish with his left foot to round off his hat-trick with 10 minutes left.

He may then have been taken off - it would have been cruel to keep him on - but the scoring did not end there.

Frank Lampard struck the fourth from close range and although it was the final whistle went rather than the towel being thrown into the ring that ended the contest, it had in truth not really been a contest at all.

Teams:

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Babayaro, Gronkjaer (Stanic 78), Petit, Lampard, Le Saux, Hasselbaink (Forssell 83), Gudjohnsen (Zola 73).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Dalla Bona.

Goals: Hasselbaink 24, 69, 81, Lampard 90.

Tottenham: Sullivan, Taricco, Thatcher (Gardner 67), King, Richards (Perry 45), Ziege, Davies, Poyet, Sherwood, Sheringham, Ferdinand (Rebrov 82).

Subs Not Used: Keller, Etherington.

Sent Off: Taricco (60).

Booked: Sherwood, Thatcher, Perry.

Att: 39,652

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).