A grim result for the Gang of Four, a good one for their lawyers. Three more points for West Ham United – controversially acquired with the devastatingly effective Carlos Tevez utterly to the fore – lifted the rule-breakers out of the drop zone; expensive legal counsel will now try and put them back there.

This was the outcome Charlton, Fulham, Sheffield United and Wigan feared when they gathered together a few miles west of here on Friday.

Why, they asked, had the Premier League punished West Ham with a fine, not points, for entering into an illegal contract with the Argentina forward and his erstwhile teammate Javier Mascherano? Sort it out or we sue was their threat to the authorities.

The problem is that West Ham have been sorting their most pressing problems out on the field, converting themselves from a team seemingly destined for relegation through their obvious shortcomings to the one with the strongest fight to survive. Ignorant of the illegality of a contract that allowed the investment companies that own his sporting rights to decide when (and to where) he should leave the club, Tevez has been the maelstrom.

Fast of foot and mind, bullish in his drive on goal, yesterday he was unstoppable, scoring twice inside 21 minutes and creating West Ham’s third before the half-hour mark. If ever there was a performance to infuriate angry men, this was it.

Five victories from their preceding seven fixtures had kept West Ham from suffering relegation before the Premier League had announced the verdict on their August transfer dealings. Momentum, suggested Alan Curbishley, was with his team – and along with it the desire to kick lumps out off each other in training. One friendly boot to the ankle had put Tevez in an oxygen tent for much of the week; his return coincided with a session so tasty his manager called it quits before more damage was done.

Appropriate preparation for a visit with Bolton, some might argue.

In his first match in full command, Sammy Lee made one alteration – Kevin Nolan returning from injury to the right wing. The shape was the same as under Sam Allardyce, Bolton’s captain pushing up alongside Nicolas Anelka when his team attacked, dropping deep beside David Thompson when defending.

In the opening minutes, Nolan was mostly forward as Bolton twice threatened a goal through Thompson’s chip onto the roof of the net and a long ball from the midfielder that James Collins almost misdirected into Anelka’s path. West Ham’s first proper attack had Nolan and his team on the back foot.

Left free to run at Bolton’s back four as he deemed appropriate, Tevez was shifting from one defender to another in unsettling manner. Collecting possession with the entire backline in front of him, he set out on the kind of swerving, unpredictable dribbles that larger, less agile defenders hate – Abdoulaye Meite confirming his dislike by cutting him down. Tevez simply stepped up and swerved the football over Bolton’s wall and Jussi Jaaskelainen’s right hand. Then he was off to the touchline for a leap into Steve Allen’s arms that sent the West Ham physio, who’d got him fit to play, tumbling down to the turf.

An already raucous Upton Park grew noisier still, but this was only the beginning. Anelka drove a free kick from similar range into West Ham’s defenders and George McCartney did well to intercept a cross from the Frenchman before it reached Kevin Davies, then the home side returned to their fluid attack.

On 21 minutes, Mark Noble stole possession 40 yards from goal and immediately released Luis Boa Morte down the left wing. Unchallenged, he squared to the unmarked Tevez, who bypassed Jaaskelainen for the second.

More South American quality – and more lax Bolton defending – saw Tevez turn provider for the third. Bobby Zamora caught Ivan Campo dallying on the edge of his own penalty box and shuttled the ball to Tevez. He accelerated into space on the left, looked up for options, and flighted a cross to Noble on the opposite side of the area. The midifielder’s furious volley travelled close to Jaaskelainen, yet was so pacy he could not place a finger on it.

He palmed away a powerful Tevez Cutting edge: Carlos Tevez races away after scoring West Ham’s first and, inset, he collects the player of the year award from Eggert Magnusson drive three minutes later, but his teammates were gasping for air. A close-range Davies shot had the home support breathing deeply, but there was precious little oxygen for Bolton’s quest for a Uefa Cup place. An understandably more cautious Hammers worked their way through the second half, Tevez almost playing in Yossi Benayoun and Marlon Harewood for a fourth, then stretching Jaaskelainen himself.

Though Noble surrendered possession to allow Gary Speed a goal on the counter and a barrage of long balls strained nerves, there was no defence against Tevez. It may be down to the lawyers to find one.

Match stats

Star man: Carlos Tevez (West Ham)

Yellow cards: West Ham: Zamora, Noble Bolton: Gardner, Thompson, Speed, Davies, Nolan

Referee: M Riley Attendance: 34,404

Player ratings:West Ham: Green 6, Neill 6, Collins 7, Ferdinand 6, McCartney 7, Benayoun 6, Noble 7, Reo-Coker 6 (Mullins 86min), Boa Morte 7 (Spector 80min), Zamora 7 (Harewood 64min), Tevez 9 Bolton: Jaaskelainen 6, Campo 4, Meite 6, Michalik 6, Gardner 5 (Stelios 76min), Thompson 6 (Sinclair 58min, 6), Speed 6, Andranik 6 (Vaz Te 65min), Nolan 5, Davies 6, Anelka 6

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