Chelsea fireworks continue

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.

Jose Mourinho's star-studded side had too much class on the counter-attack for the visitors who were overwhelmed at Stamford Bridge.

But Chelsea were not the only team enjoying a convincing win on Saturday.

Manchester United showed it was still too early to rule them out of the title race with a 5-2 win over drop candidates Crystal Palace erasing some of the pain caused by dropping two points late on in Monday's 1-1 draw away to Fulham.

Second-placed Everton, the fairytale story of this season's Premiership, could only manage a goalless draw against struggling Blackburn Rovers.

United meanwhile moved a point behind third-placed champions Arsenal and nine adrift of Chelsea.

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 had ever managed to stay in the Premier-ship.

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.

Chelsea were 3-0 up at half-time but Mourinho told Sky Sports afterwards: "In the first half they (Norwich) 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. 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.

Arjen Robben made it 3-0 a minute before the break when he capped a scored from the edge of the box, and 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 keeper Gabor Kiraly saved Wayne Rooney's eighth minute penalty before Paul Scholes put United ahead in the 22nd minute.

But five minutes later Palace hit back through Danny Graville's powerful strike. However, 10 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.

John O'Shea added a fifth in stoppage time.

"This was the kind of positive result you were looking for," Ferguson said afterwards but added: "It was like a Christmas day-game, if you know what I mean, there were presents being given out everywhere."

At the Riverside, Boro collected all three points despite plenty of Villa pressure. Goals from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Joseph Desire Job and Michael Reiziger left Boro boss Steve McClaren more than happy with his team's progress.

"Goals win matches and we are getting them from all areas. It didn't happen enough last season, which is why we brought in two strikers in the summer (Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka).

"We were the lowest scorers in the Premiership at this time last season, so there has been a huge turnaround."

At White Hart Lane, Tottenham boss Martin Jol hailed his side's fourth straight league win which also featured goals from strikers Frederic Kanoute and Robbie Keane.

"The last four games weren't the easiest ones but we have come out of it well," said the Dutchman, who replaced former France coach Jacques Santini when he abruptly left last month.

"Things are going well for us but I always thought that with the squad of players we have that we would start getting the results even when we lost six in a row."

Arsenal will arrive at Fratton Park knowing a win will see them move up into second and five points behind Chelsea.

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.