Premier League round-up: Andy Carroll was on target as West Ham's fourth win in five games ensured Leicester would be bottom of the Premier League at Christmas after a 2-0 defeat at the Boleyn Ground.
Only twice before – West Brom in 2004-2005 and Sunderland last season – have the side at the foot of the Premier League standings on December 25th avoided relegation.
The Foxes were culpable as their winless run was extended to 12 games through goals from Carroll and Stewart Downing.
Paul Konchesky, Barking-born and playing against his old club, presented Carroll with the opening goal moments after the Hammers striker had missed a straightforward opportunity.
But there was little Leicester could do to stop Downing’s strike as the playmaker curled a sumptuous shot into the far corner.
Adrian saved well to deny Foxes substitutes David Nugent and Leonardo Ulloa late on as West Ham kept a cleansheet in a comfortable win.
The fourth-placed Hammers have made their best Premier League start and now have an eye on Europe – home fans celebrated the win by singing “Barcelona, we’re coming for you” – while Leicester must dig deep to have any hope of survival.
Southampton brought their worst losing streak of the 21st century to a comprehensive end as they impressively dispatched of Everton 3-0 at St Mary's.
The astonishing start to life under Ronald Koeman recently came to a dramatic end, with Tuesday's embarrassing Capital One Cup exit to third-tier Sheffield United a fifth successive defeat in all competitions.
That loss had repercussions far beyond denting confidence as suspension and injury problems mounted, yet Saints rallied to see off Everton thanks to Romelu Lukaku's own goal and second-half efforts from Graziano Pelle and Maya Yoshida.
It was Southampton's first win since November 8th and one which may have come earlier was it not for some poor officiating from Jon Moss.
In truth, Lukaku's own goal went some way to saving the referee's blushes, having come from a corner inexplicably awarded when Phil Jagielka booted Shane Long rather than the ball.
It meant Southampton’s last three goals at home to Everton had been scored by the visitors – an unwanted statistic brought to an end in the second half when Pelle notched from close range.
Things got better still for Saints when Yoshida bundled home a fine Steven Davis cross, as Everton slumped to a third consecutive away defeat in the Premier League.
Erik Lamela broke his 25-game Premier League goal drought to seal Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Burnley at White Hart Lane.
The Argentina winger fired home from 25 yards to atone for gifting Burnley the platform for Ashley Barnes’s equaliser.
Harry Kane headed Tottenham into the lead before Barnes levelled, George Boyd latching onto Lamela's misplaced pass in the build-up.
Lamela shook off that error to dart in from the right flank, tee himself up and convert a long-range blast to end his dismal run without a league goal in north London.
The 22-year-old has struggled to justify his £27million price tag since joining Spurs from Roma in August 2013, but finally broke his league duck as Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured their third successive win.
Barnes’s 20-yard blast was every bit as smartly-taken as Lamela’s impressive strike, the Burnley forward claiming his second goal in as many matches.
Sean Dyche’s side were unable to offer any response after Tottenham regained the lead however, with the hosts bossing the goalless second half.
Burnley's defeat dropped them into the relegation zone, after QPR saw off West Brom 3-2.
Charlie Austin returned from suspension to steal the show with a hat-trick as QPR recovered from two goals down at home and move out of the bottom three.
The striker was missing from the defeat at Everton on Monday night but moved on to 11 goals for the season as he hit three to see off a West Brom side which had stunned Loftus Road with a scintillating start.
Harry Redknapp’s side looked like the QPR of old in the opening exchanges, gifting chances and possession to West Brom and operating with no defensive cohesion.
West Brom took full advantage and raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of first Baggies' goals for both Joleon Lescott and Silvestre Varela.
But, having given their fellow relegation-candidates a head-start, QPR showed the resolve to keep their chins up and dig themselves out of trouble.
And it was that man Austin who was the hero of the piece once again, first tucking away a penalty three minutes after Varela’s strike, then turning home from close-range early in the second half and heading home an 85th minute winner to lift QPR to 15th in the table.
With no points on the road this season, Redknapp knows survival will come down to results at Loftus Road and his side have now taken a maximum of nine points from a string of home games against Leicester, Burnley and now Alan Irvine’s side.
Ki Sung-yueng was the unwitting match-winner as Swansea beat Hull 1-0 away to return to winning ways.
The visitors scored the only goal of the game in the 14th minute when South Korean midfielder Ki attempted to turn his back on Jonjo Shelvey’s shot and instead succeeded in diverting past Allan McGregor with his lower arm.
While that represented a considerable slice of luck, it was no less than the visitors deserved, Shelvey hitting the post with a second long-range effort and Bafetimbi Gomis also denied by the woodwork in the latter stages.
Steve Bruce's Tigers, struggling with injury and suspension and second bottom in the table, also hit the frame of the goal through Andy Robertson and had a last-gasp penalty appeal rejected but would have been flattered by a point.
