Wigan provided 90 minutes of top-notch entertainment for the lunchtime television cameras as they swept to the top of the first division with a clinical demolition of Crystal Palace.
Goals rained in from all angles as the home side turned on the style in their first ever meeting with the Londoners, to record their highest goal tally for almost three years.
Two goals from Nathan Ellington, two from Andy Liddell and a fifth from Geoff Horsfield sent the home fans into raptures and left the Palace fans shouting for the head of manager Steve Kember.
It was Liddell who began the rout with a neat finish after a delightful move for his 67th goal in Wigan colours, making him the club's record league goalscorer.
Horsfield added a second after a jinking run as Palace were torn apart by some superb one-touch football and Liddell then made it three five minutes into the second half with a penalty after Neil Shipperley was harshly adjudged to have handled.
A brace from Ellington then followed, the first a superb drive from the edge of the box and the second a header from a pinpoint cross from man-of-the-match Liddell.
Woeful Palace seldom threatened and their best and only real chance of note came on the half-hour when John Filan had to be alert to deny Dougie Freedman.