Chelsea hammered Bolton into submission with a blistering first half goal-fest which saw Frank Lampard hit a hat-trick and Daniel Sturridge get a brace.
Lowly Bolton were undone with 96 seconds when poor defending saw ex-Bolton loanee Sturridge stoop and head home from six yards out a Lampard corner.
Lampard then got on the act 13 minutes later, latching onto a Sturridge pass and stroking the ball past a hapless Adam Bogdan.
By the 25th minute the game was over as a contest. Sturridge made all his own luck by cutting in from the right and arrowing in a smart left-footer in off Bogdan’s body.
Bolton were truly awful and Chelsea played some of their best football of the season and for once converted chances into goals.
Number four came on 27 minutes – again Bogdan was the culprit, allowing a David Luiz long-range strike to bounce off him into the path of an in-running Lampard, who coolly coaxed the ball past the hapless goalkeeper from eight yards out.
Bolton could not get any worse and thus by definition did a bit better in the second half.
Trying to restore some pride to their play and that of their fans, the home side snatched an early goal. Dedryck Boyata out jumping a static Chelsea defence to head home a fine free-kick by Marin Petrov.
This just stung Chelsea back into action and Lampard rounded off a brilliant performance with his third and Chelsea’s fifth on 58 minutes.
Fine interchange play between the midfielder and below par Didier Drogba saw Lampard in the perfect position to stroke home the goal past Bogdan.
But overall for the second period, Bolton had some fine chances. The first with nine minutes remaining saw sub Branislav Ivanovic hack a Kevin Davies shot off the line.
Then with two minutes remaining, Chris Eagles saw a blistering right-footer from 25 yards singe Cech’s gloves and the ball ricochets off his right post.
Chelsea will have better days and not score so many. Bolton can’t afford to have many days like this.