Frank Lampard defied the critics with a hat trick as Chelsea routed Bolton 5-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.
The 33-year-old England midfielder was dismissed as being past his prime last month after being dropped to the bench by both club and country.
But at the Reebok Stadium he took his tally to four goals in two games for Chelsea, while Daniel Sturridge scored the other two for the visitors.
Dedryck Boyata had given bottom-place Bolton a faint hope of a comeback at 4-0 with a 46th-minute header before Lampard's third.
Chelsea is third in the standings, three points behind Manchester rivals United and City.
Lampard and Daniel Sturridge both netted twice in the first half, two errors in quick succession by Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan allowing each player their second.
Boyata scored his first Bolton goal soon after the restart, but it counted for little as Lampard clinched his hat trick in the 59th minute.
Bolton stays bottom, with its losing streak in the league extending to six games.
While Bogdan - in the Trotters team for the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen - endured a nightmare, it was a dream performance from Lampard, who followed up his midweek goal in the Champions League draw at Valencia in style.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas also handed Didier Drogba a start, the Ivorian taking the place of the suspended Fernando Torres, while Sturridge returned as well having recovered from a knee problem.
Jose Bosingwa's cross was intercepted by Boyata to earn the Blues a corner and when Juan Mata swung it in, Sturridge rose unmarked to score against his former club in the 2nd minute.
At the other end, David Ngog skewed an effort high and wide, catching John Terry with his boot in the process, and Martin Petrov hit a free kick into the wall.
After 15 minutes, it was 2-0 as Sturridge squared in the box for Lampard, who had the space to slot the ball past Bogdan.
Two mistakes by Bogdan then put the result beyond doubt.
First the young Hungarian let Sturridge's shot from the edge of the box loop in off him in the 25th when he should have saved. He then parried David Luiz's strike straight at the feet of Lampard, who grabbed his second in the 27th.
After the interval, Wanderers pulled a goal back a minute in when Boyata nodded in Petrov's free-kick.
Drogba flashed an effort across the face of goal and was the provider when Chelsea added to its lead soon after, laying the ball across the area for Lampard to sweep in.
Bolton refused to give up and thought it had scored again when Kevin Davies prodded in Petrov's cross but the ball was judged not to have crossed the line before substitute Branislav Ivanovic's clearance.
