Tottenham Hotspur are known for their capacity to come alive as the transfer window starts to slide shut. The spoils here came in the shape of a victory that eased them from their slightly sticky spell.

The demons that would regularly circle White Hart Lane had shrieked in the previous home fixture when precious points had been squandered against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Defeat followed at Manchester City, albeit in unlucky fashion. Title talk cooled.

But they made no mistake against a disappointing Wigan Athletic team to haul themselves back on track and offer a tonic to the manager, Harry Redknapp, as he fights charges of tax evasion. The White Hart Lane crowd were generous in their vocal backing of him, and he acknowledged their chants by clapping his hands above his head.

Inevitably, though, the decisive moments were provided by Gareth Bale, his 10th and 11th goals of the domestic season helping Tottenham to confirm the gulf in class. He could have had a hat-trick. The only disappointments for Spurs were muscular injuries to Rafael van der Vaart, Kyle Walker and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Bale's second, and the goal that embossed the win, summed him up in so many ways. Taking a short pass from Benoît Assou-Ekotto and faced by Ben Watson, he simply shifted the ball on to his left foot and, almost in the same motion, whipped a low shot into the far corner. It came out of nothing and was direct, clinical and unstoppable.

Redknapp is not normally an over-zealous celebrator of goals but he let himself go a little bit after this one, just as he had done after Luka Modric's low strike from the edge of the penalty area had made the score 2-0.

Wigan came away with the consolation of the substitute James McArthur's first Premier League goal, a deflected shot, and with time running out Ronnie Stam fizzed in a cross that nobody attacked and McArthur flicked over. But it would have been outlandish for Tottenham's victory margin to be slim.

"I kept dancing around like a two-year-old [after the goals]," Redknapp said, with a smile. "I've been sitting down for over a week and it was nice to get on my feet again. The fans were great and I appreciated it. We're back up there again, although to be honest I keep looking at the gap behind us. It's 13 points to Arsenal, which is a nice lead. Bale was terrific. He's unstoppable when he's like that."

The background noise to the 90 minutes was predictably loud; Tottenham are pioneers of deadline‑day madness and one of the subplots was their reported interest in the Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega, who was left on the substitutes' bench because of a minor injury. The talk that Redknapp was going to sign Rodallega either at half‑time or after the game did not sit well with Martínez.

"To play a game on the night of the transfer deadline … I don't think it was a good idea," Martínez said. "It becomes a bit of a circus. An individual's career should be second to the football club. There's nothing with Spurs [and Rodallega]. It's just ridiculous but it does affect human beings. It's a huge day of speculation but it should never be bigger than playing."

It was not Martínez's only gripe. He raged at Assou-Ekotto's 72nd‑minute studs-up challenge on Franco Di Santo, which went unpunished. "It was a red card," Martínez said. "We were very fortunate because Franco escaped with a minor injury. I've seen broken legs from those."

Martínez, though, could not complain about the result. Wigan were dismal in the first half and Tottenham could have put the game out of sight. Younes Kaboul went close with two headers from corners but it was Bale who broke the deadlock when he controlled Modric's floated pass and finished with fine technique.

Spurs turned the screw and their second was a horror show for Wigan. Assou‑Ekotto's cross was cleared by Maynor Figueroa but it ricocheted off Jordi Gomez to leave the ball at Modric's feet. He swivelled and beat Ali Al Habsi. Wigan were much improved in the second half but they struggled for cutting edge. Bale did not and although McArthur enjoyed his moment and Wigan heads did not drop, the die had long since been cast.