There is just no stopping Frank Lampard as he arrows towards Chelsea history.
The midfielder struck the third in a 4-1 victory over Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge to put him within four goals of equalling club record scorer Bobby Tambling's 202 goals.
The Blues opened the scoring through Ramires and doubled the lead just after half time via Eden Hazard.
Wigan, who played their part in an entertaining encounter nicked one back through
Shaun Maloney before Lampard's strike.
Substitute Marko Marin finished of any lingering resistance from Wigan.
Wigan started off with excellent attacking intentions and Petr Cech had to be quick off his line in the opening minute to snuff out a Shaun Maloney left wing cross.
Ex-Blue Franco Di Santo had the first proper shot on target on five minutes, when a sharp Wigan attack saw the ball zip across the Chelsea penalty area. The Argentina striker took on touch before letting fly with a fierce right-footer which Cech did well to party away.
A minute later and Maloney, again showed his class by curling a left-footer from just outside the area which forced Cech into yet another goal-saving dive.
Frank Lampard tried a wayward shot on eight minutes but seconds lat a cleaver attack by the Blues involving Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres, almost saw the Belgium midfielder sneak in unnoticed behind the Wigan rearguard, but Maynor Figueroa was quick to put in a massive block tackle before Hazard had a chance to shoot.
Torres was unlucky to see a glancing header from aLampard free-kick in hide of Ali Al Hasbi's goal on 15 minutes. Then, just before the now obligatory 16 minute chant for 'Di Matteo' Torres should have scored when latching onto a Branislav Ivanovic pass. But his shot, on goal, was weak and straight to the goalkeeper.
While Wigan were playing all the pretty football, Chelsea simply counter-attacked, and on 23 minutes cut the visitors apart.
David Luiz sent the ball into the feet of Torres, who with his back to goal and 25 yards out, simply clipped the ball into the path of Ramires who ran into the penalty area and clipped the ball over Al Hasbi and into the net to give the Blues an undeserved 1-0 lead.
The Blues should have doubled their lead on 33 minutes when Ramires, put Cesar Azpilicueta clear on the right. The Spain right-back sent in the perfect cross which Torres met with the full meat of his head. But Al Hasbi produced an acrobatic save to tip the ball over his crossbar.
Lampard tried a trademark 25-yarder soon after, which went wide of goal, as the Blues dominance started to include peppering the Wigan goal.
Azpilicueta, however, spared Chelsea's blushes when he managed to head clear a deft Maloney cross into the penalty area with three minutes of the half remaining with Di Santo ready to pounce at the far post.
There were no changes in personnel at half-time.
The first effort of the half went to Di Santo, who, unfortunately for him, sent a right-footer high and wide of Cech's goal on 51 minutes.
Ronnie Stam saw his glancing header from a free kick a minute later go straight into the gleeful palms of Cech as the visitors piled n the pressure to nab the equaliser.
Like in the first half and against the run of play, the Blues doubled their lead on 56 minutes.
A long Gary Cahill free kick set Azpilicueta clear. The right-back zipped pass Jean Beausejour and cut his byline cross back to Hazard who slotted home through a group of players into the back of the net.
But the two-goal lead was short-lived as Wigan struck back almost immediately.
Livewire Maloney beat the offside trap and raced after a through ball by James McArthur.
Out came Cech and the two chased the ball down to the corner of the penalty area. But it was Maloney who reached it first and he slipped the ball under Cech and into the net from a sharp angle.
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez instantly replaced midfielder Espinoza with striker Arouna Kone.
Quite how Wigan did not get a penalty on 74 minutes is anybodies guess as Stam's shot from the edge of the Chelsea area, clearly hit the outstretched arm of Ashley Cole.
Referee Mike Dean ignored the justified appeals from the Wigan players.
Interim boss Rafael Bentiez decided that his under fire side needed a change and he brought on virus-hit Juan Mata for Oscar with14 minutes remaining.
Ronnie Stam was replaced on 82 minutes for David Jones.
With five minutes of the game left it was left to Lampard to seal the three points with a rasper of a daisy-cutter from just outside the penalty area to make it 3-1.
That means Lampard, 34, out of contract at the end of the season, has scored 198 goals for the Blues and is now just four goals away from equalling the club's goal-scoring record of 202 by legend Bobby Tambling.
Benitez made another change in order to shore up the lead, replacing centre-back Cahill for midfielder Yossi Benayoun.
Marko Marin then replaced Hazard on 90 minutes and, with his first touch put the finishing touches on an emphatic victory.
Azpilicueta forced a smart save from Al Hasbi and Marin was on hand to nod the ball home from close range to make it four.deep not injury time and Torres should have made it five by Al Hasbi cleared the ball off the line.
Chelsea leap-frog over Spurs who had taken third place in the Premier League and now face a daunting midweek away Europa League tie against Sparta Prague before resuming their FA Cup quest on Sunday in a replay at the bridge against Brentford.
Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; David Luiz, Lampard; Ramires, Oscar, Hazard; Torres.
Subs
Wigan Athletic: Al Hasbi, McCarthy, Caldwell, Di Santo, Maloney, McArthur, Espinoza, Beausejour, Stam, Figueroa, Scharner
Subs: Robles, Kone Jones, Henriquez, Gomez, McManaman, Golobart
Referee: Mike Dean