Luka Modric grabbed the opener against West Ham at White Hart Lane and Defoe secured a 2-0 victory with his 15th of the campaign.

"We've got a fantastic squad, great players and I think we're good enough to compete up there," said Defoe.

Defoe, like Chelsea's Frank Lampard, is among the clutch of ex-West Ham players who get abused by fans when they face their former club.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, despite seven years at Upton Park, also had chants aimed at him from the away fans.

Redknapp, when asked if the result gave him extra satisfaction after the abuse he received, said: "Not at all. Who's interested in singing songs about Frank Lampard, who's interested in that? Filth."

The bitterness between the two clubs added intensity to a match Gianfranco Zola's men were desperate to win to aid their survival bid.

Instead, they fell behind to Modric's 11th-minute opener and then saw Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga limp off with hamstring trouble, although Zola is hopeful neither will be long-term problems.

"Parker shouldn't be too bad," the Italian said. "He had a tight hamstring but he said it felt better and he shouldn't be too long and we'll see in the next few days.

"Ilunga is the same thing, he just felt his hamstring a little bit so he shouldn't be anything serious."

After Parker's departure, West Ham struggled to penetrate a Spurs defence bolstered by the return of Ledley King from a hamstring injury.

"What a player he is," Redknapp said. "He's one of the best centre-halves in the world.

"We're very lucky in this country with John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, and he's right up there with the very best of them when he's fit and playing."

Aaron Lennon also made an impact, along with Tom Huddlestone, who was playing on his 23rd birthday after being on the bench with Defoe for the Boxing Day draw at Fulham.

Modric, meanwhile, made his first start after fracturing a fibula in August.

Huddlestone said: "We felt sharp. Some of the lads who played on Boxing Day said they felt a bit stiff and fatigued so for me and Jermain to be rested or dropped, or however you like to say it, we were fresh."