Jermaine Jenas grabbed a brace as Spurs ran riot at White Hart Lane to ensure Frank Barlow's first match as Wigan's caretaker boss ended in a heavy defeat.

The midfielder opened the scoring from barely a yard after Robbie Keane's slinky run and he strode through a static defence to slip in the second.

Aaron Lennon's 25-yard drive ended the match as a contest, and substitute Darren Bent's fine finish made it four.

It could have been worse for an abject Wigan, who had just one shot on target.

Both sides came into the match without a win in nine Premier League games, but from the first minute only Tottenham looked like ending that run.

Afforded the freedom of White Hart Lane by a Wigan side bereft of confidence and endeavour, the hosts were able to shake off their early-season struggles with the minimum of fuss.

Lennon was the visitors' early tormentor, his seventh-minute shot forcing Chris Kirkland to save low down before his zipped pass across the face of goal somehow eluded Dimitar Berbatov close in.

But it was Jenas that ensured Tottenham's bright start bore the fruit it deserved.

The midfielder was on cue to tap in a yard out from Keane's cross after the Irishman had danced around Andreas Granqvist on the left, before he strode onto Berbatov's excellent through ball, rounded keeper Kirkland and poked home.

Juande Ramos remained impassive on the sidelines, but even the stern Spaniard afforded himself a smile eight minutes later when Lennon latched onto Berbatov's lay-off to lash into the far corner from 25 yards to put the hosts 3-0 up.

Wigan were shell-shocked and Frank Barlow responded by replacing David Cotterill with Antoine Sibierski.

It had little impact, though, and Jenas should have made it 4-0 when he strode onto more good work from Berbatov and rounded last man Paul Scharner, only to clip his effort wide.

Having failed to score in four of their past five matches, it was perhaps little surprise that the Latics ended the half without a shot on goal - even against a Spurs side still notoriously fragile at the back.

When it did finally come, it was poor - Marcus Bent firing a difficult chance high, wide and not so handsome from the angle - though it did at least prompt the visitors' first real spell of possession.

However, centre-halves Kaboul and Michael Dawson resisted a wave of high balls into their box and it was not long before Spurs were back on the offensive.

First Keane lofted just over the bar from 18 yards and then Jenas was only denied his hat-trick by the offside flag after he had lifted Lennon's chipped pass over Kirkland.

And then, minutes after Kirkland had denied Lennon's long-range effort with his fingertips, Bent made it four in style, running onto Jenas's through ball and slamming into the far corner just five minutes after coming on.

By this stage, Wigan were breathing hard, but Spurs - full of energy all match - kept pressing and Didier Zokora almost made it five with a fine run and shot that brought the best out of Kirkland.

Minutes later, Berbatov almost capped a fine display with a goal when his drive was tipped onto the post brilliantly by Kirkland and Younes Kaboul struck the bar on the follow-up.

As it was, Wigan made it to the final whistle without further embarrassment, though the size of the task for whoever takes over the Latics was clearly evident as they slumped to a seventh straight league defeat.

For Spurs, the victory lifts them further away from the relegation zone, with Ramos's first four matches in charge yielding three wins and a draw.

Tottenham assistant manager Gus Poyet: "That was definitely better. The goals, of course, are important for us, but it was just as important that we kept another clean sheet. "All good teams build from the back and if we can work towards a more solid base it gives us the freedom to go forward, attack and that's where we are so strong with the likes of Berbatov, Keane, Lennon and Jenas.

"As for Berbatov - I can understand him getting frustrated with the press, with all the stories being written that aren't true - but we've talked to him, he's happy and if he plays like this every week we're happy too!"