Atletico Madrid produced only their second away league win of the season with an emphatic victory against in-form Sporting Gijon.
Star strike pairing Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan scored two apiece with Maxi Rodriguez also on the scoresheet as the Champions League hopefuls routed their hosts.
Atletico had drawn their last three games on the road and in the last two in particular, against lowly Osasuna and Numancia, were heavily criticised by local media for poor performances.
The capital side were sixth in the Primera Liga going into the match and last weekend's 4-1 home win over Racing Santander saw them close the gap on fifth-placed Sevilla to three points.
Javier Aguirre's side went behind after just three minutes when striker Mate Bilic headed home.
But Sporting were then overrun by a determined, ruthless Atletico side who bounced back immediately to win away from home for the first time since a 2-1 victory over Getafe back in September.
Bilic had headed the home side in front after less than three minutes.
But Argentina forward Aguero leveled matters three minutes later. The diminutive striker made room for himself just outside the box before firing in a sublime overhead kick.
The game then calmed down for 20 minutes with Forlan creating the next opening in the 23rd with a speculative header which went over.
Bilic then tried his luck at the other end but sent his well-struck shot wide.
That barren period was ended shortly before the break when Aguero was on hand to double his evening's tally in the 44th minute.
Aguero kept his composure to curl the ball beyond Ivan Cuellar from 12 yards.
Sporting's hopes of an early second-half equaliser were abruptly ended when Forlan joined his team-mate on the scoresheet nine minutes after the break, firing past Cuellar with his left foot to make it 3-1.
But shortly after the hour mark substitute David Barral gave the hosts a lifeline.
Barral steadied himself to beat Leo Franco with a shot into the top right-hand corner and spark the supporters' hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Further chances came and went for Sporting. Santa Cecilla Pedro saw his effort go disappointingly wide before Diego Castro's shot also failed to trouble Leo Franco.
In the 73rd minute the game was won for the capital club, however, when captain Maxi Rodriguez curled home a fourth to give his side some breathing space.
Florent Sinama Pongolle was sent on in place of Aguero with the clock running down but the fifth goal came from Forlan rather than the fresh-legged Frenchman.
The former Manchester United striker showed characteristic instinct in the final third to get in space and compound a miserable evening for the plucky minnows, whose hopes of avoiding relegation back to the Segunda Division had been boosted significantly by a recent surge in form.
