Mikael Forssell scored a hat-trick as Birmingham beat Tottenham 4-1 at St Andrews.

Sebastien Larsson also got on the scoresheet as Alex McLeish's side completed the double over the newly-crowned League Cup champions and gave their hopes of Premier League survival a real boost. Substitute Jermaine Jenas grabbed Tottenham's late consolation strike.

Forssell's first was proof that while Spurs manager Juande Ramos has changed a lot in his short time at the club, he is yet to fully overhaul their defending at set pieces.

They failed to clear a seventh minute corner and left the lively James McFadden unmarked to cross back in and allow the Finn to lose Teemu Tainio and head in.

Just moments after Younes Kaboul fired a free kick over the bar for Spurs, Larsson scored his second goal against Tottenham this season with a free kick that was bent round the wall and out of the reach of the diving Robinson in the 53rd minute, following a foul on Gary McSheffrey by Didier Zokora.

Zokora played an even bigger part in Forssell's second and Birmingham's third. The Ivory Coast midfielder, playing at centre back, tried to clear a cross in needlessly acrobatic fashion and forced Robinson into a save, but the ball fell kindly for Forssell to sidefoot in from close range and ensure that there was no way back for Spurs.

Six minutes later he completed his first hat-trick in English football with a cool slotted finish into the far corner after being fed by McFadden as the pair broke two-on-two against a demoralised Tottenham defence.

Jenas grabbed scant consolation for Spurs with three minutes to go with a tap-in at the far post as the ball broke free.

Tottenham fielded a side with many players out of their usual positions, although this was nothing now under Ramos.

Jamie O'Hara had an impressive game on the left wing, while Darren Bent's worthy efforts up front proved largely futile as he was isolated with Dimitar Berbatov regularly dropping into midfield.

O'Hara cut inside and had one or two good efforts, while Tom Huddlestone saw several strikes from distance sail over the bar.

Argentinian forward Mauro Zarate almost scored his first goal for Birmingham after coming on in the final five minutes, and twice glided through several opposing players before forcing good stops from Robinson.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport