Robbie Keane scored twice but was sent off as Tottenham beat Bolton.
Robbie Keane ran the gamut of emotions
The skipper blasted Spurs ahead after 11 minutes and then his 19th-minute shot was parried by Jussi Jaaskelainen to allow Jermaine Jenas to tap in.
Spurs went 3-0 up when Keane converted Pascal Chimbonda's 22nd-minute cross but he was sent off for keeping Ivan Campo's header out with his hand.
Gary Speed reduced the arrears from the penalty spot but Spurs made it four late on when Aaron Lennon steered home.
Keane experienced 25 minutes of football he is not likely to forget in a hurry.
He lit the blue touch-paper under a combustible first half by firing Spurs ahead.
Bolton were looking for a foul when Berbatov bumped Abdoulaye Faye off the ball as Paul Robinson pumped a free-kick forward. But the Bulgarian snaffled up the loose ball to feed Keane, whose rasping shot cannoned in off the inside of the near post.
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Robinson had to be alert to prevent an instant Bolton equaliser, reacting sharply to beat away Stelios Giannakopoulos' close-range header.
But Keane had a hand as Spurs doubled their lead. Bolton's defenders backed off and the Republic of Ireland striker needed no second invitation to let fly.
The shot proved too hot for Jaaskelainen to hold and Jenas was on hand to dine off the scraps.
Bolton's defenders were struggling to combat the movement of Keane and Berbatov and some of Spurs' football was irresistible.
Their third goal was a picture-book as Chimbonda took a return pass from Teemu Tainio and galloped to the dead-ball line where Keane darted to the near post to tuck home the low cross.
Keane's afternoon came to an abrupt end as Spurs' stately procession to the three points suddenly struck a speed bump.
Graham Poll gets plenty of advice
Referee Poll was sharp-eyed enough to spot Keane's hand snake out to block Campo's goalbound header and the penalty award was doubled up as the Spurs captain was red-carded for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Speed obliged from the spot and suddenly the game had a different complexion, with Nicolas Anelka a threat as he silkily began to find space behind the Spurs defence.
Berbatov decided on unilateral action in the second half to prove attack is the best form of defence.
The Bulgarian forced Jaaskelainen into a scrambling save, with a dipping volley, and then rose to bullet a header inches over the bar.
Anelka ghosted on to Stelios' cross only to place a deft header straight at Robinson but, despite being a man light, Spurs still posed Bolton problems.
Berbatov beat the offside trap to find himself clear but, unable to dig the ball out from under his feet, the chance was lost as he was crowded out.
Anelka was the man likely to haul Bolton back into the game and his powerful shot was parried away by Robinson to thwart the scavenging El-Hadji Diouf
Jaaskelainen pulled off a great double save to deny Spurs. Berbatov was again the architect, laying the ball back for Jenas, whose thumping shot was parried by the Finn, who then snaked out an arm to fingertip Steed Malbranque's follow-up around the post.
Spurs were threatening on the break and rounded off the afternoon when Malbranque ran into space and crossed low for Lennon to convert.
Spurs boss Martin Jol pays tribute to Dimitar Berbatov:
"It's a long time since I saw somebody play like he did on his own up front.
"You always say you have to cope with the English game, but he's played three games this week and shown he's a real team player."
Boss Sam Allardyce:
"That was a poor performance and I can't accept that.
"Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane tore our back four apart in the first 21 minutes and that was the end of the game.
"Even when they were down to 10 men we didn't do things quickly enough and lost the space that we could have exposed."
Tottenham: Robinson, Chimbonda, Dawson, Rocha, Young-Pyo Lee, Lennon, Zokora (Stalteri 90), Jenas, Tainio (Malbranque 67), Berbatov, Keane.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Mido, Defoe.
Sent Off: Keane (36).
Goals: Keane 11, Jenas 19, Keane 22, Lennon 90.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Meite, Faye (Teymourian 25), Gardner (Pedersen 63), Giannakopoulos, Nolan (Vaz Te 76), Campo, Speed, Diouf, Anelka.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Tal.
Booked: Diouf, Meite, Gardner, Campo.
Goals: Speed 37 pen.
Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).