Lee Bowyer scored twice as West Ham thrashed woeful Derby at Pride Park.
In a first half low on genuine quality, Nolberto Solano struck the bar with a curling free-kick before Bowyer fired home from Carlton Cole's header down.
It was one-way traffic after the break and Matthew Etherington drove in number two after Matthew Upson hit the bar.
Jonathan Spector's shot squirmed beyond Eddie Lewis on the line, Bowyer shot in from Cole's pass and Solano completed the rout with another fine free-kick.
It was West Ham's biggest league victory since Boxing Day 2000, when they won 5-0 against a Charlton team managed by their current boss Alan Curbishley.
Derby, on the other hand, were utterly devoid of ideas and have now gone 521 minutes without scoring.
606: DEBATE
They brought back striker Kenny Miller in a bid to redress that even though he was short of fitness after his hamstring problem.
But in a first half punctuated by poorly timed challenges, it was clear which team possessed the greater attacking threat.
Boa Morte should have done better when he got away from Marc Edworthy down the right and when his drive was blocked by Darren Moore, the follow-up from Cole was well kept out by Stephen Bywater's legs.
Solano then came desperately close to the opener, curling his free-kick over the wall and against the woodwork after Andy Griffin had been penalised for handball on the edge of the area.
Five minutes from the break, West Ham got the breakthrough when Cole headed into the path of Bowyer, who drove beyond Bywater amid complaints from Derby about a possible handball.
The tone of the second half was set right at the start when sloppy defending allowed Cole to cross from the right to Boa Morte, who could not get in a clean strike.
From the corner, Upson crashed a half-volley against the bar but it mattered little as Derby were then torn apart by three goals in eight minutes.
They could have levelled when Lewis found himself in space on the left and got in a centre from which Miller sent his free header wide.
Etherington made them pay almost immediately when John Pantsil played the ball into him in the box and, after a one-two with Bowyer, the winger drove home.
It got even worse for Derby when they failed to clear a Solano corner, Lucas Neill headed the ball back in and it broke to Spector, whose shot was deflected in by Lewis for an own-goal.
Bowyer then surged through unmarked to rifle in number four after Solano played in Cole to lay the ball across to the midfielder.
With the game over as a contest, West Ham had time and space to knock the ball around.
Solano put the seal on a comprehensive triumph and had his own reward for an outstanding display when he curled another delightful free-kick into the far corner to send some of the home fans towards the exits.
Derby manager Billy Davies:
"But after that it was men against boys and we got nothing out of the game because we deserved nothing.
"We did not compete and that was disappointing.
"Our reaction to losing the first goal was poor and we did not show enough desire to get back into the match."
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley on being without 11 senior players:
"We had people playing in positions that they are not familar with but they have done a job there.
"When I get the other players fit I will have a selection headache because there is competition for places."
Derby: Bywater, Mears, Moore, Edworthy, Griffin, Barnes, Oakley, Pearson, Teale (Howard 52), Miller (Fagan 75), Lewis (Earnshaw 58).
Subs Not Used: McEveley, Jones.
Booked: Oakley, Fagan.
West Ham: Green, Neill, Gabbidon, Upson, McCartney (Pantsil 14), Solano, Spector, Bowyer (Collins 72), Etherington, Cole, Boa Morte.
Subs Not Used: Wright, Ljungberg, Camara.
Booked: Pantsil, Bowyer.
Goals: Bowyer 42, Etherington 51, Lewis 55 og, Bowyer 59, Solano 69.
Att: 32,440
Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).
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