Having been an uncomfortable passenger for much of his first two seasons at Chelsea, Shaun Wright-Phillips picked a good night to take his position in the driving seat. After a troubled start at Stamford Bridge, the 25-year-old may have finally passed the test, scoring two stunning goals that could have a decisive impact on the destination of the Barclays Premiership title. “Massive credit to Wrighty, he won it for us,” Frank Lampard said.

Wright-Phillips was used to winning games on his own in scoring 23 goals in his final two years at Manchester City, but they dried up after his £21 million move to Chelsea. Until last night, the England winger’s biggest contribution had been winning the club’s annual Play-Station competition at John Terry’s house, dazzling his teammates with a series of skills not seen on the pitch or the training ground. The Up-ton Park PA announcer was so taken aback by Wright-Phillips’s sudden contribution that he erroneously credited him with Chelsea’s third, when Salomon Kalou effectively sealed the win after 52 minutes.

That success on a games console may have played a part in restoring his confidence because Wright-Phillips appeared to be a man reborn. It seems astonishing that his first-half brace were his first Premiership goals in two seasons at the club, but after waiting 49 matches for his first league goal, it took only a further five minutes to add his second.

Wright-Phillips took almost 18 months to get off the mark at his new club, scoring against Levski Sofia in the Champions League last December. FA Cup goals against Macclesfield Town, Norwich City and Tot-tenham Hotspur followed, but nothing to suggest the scale of last night’s goal fest.

Wright-Phillips puts his dramatic improvement down to increasing opportunities, with this being the third occasion in four matches he had played for 90 minutes after failing to last the distance in his first 45 appearances for the club. He looked bright from the outset before scoring a goal of breathtaking brilliance, skipping past the challenge of Jonathan Spector to leave the American as red-faced as his hair as Wright-Phillips shot across Robert Green with his left foot.

If anything, the second was better, as he volleyed Wayne Bridge’s left-wing cross with a first-time strike past Green. “The one from the cross was better as it was harder to bring the ball down from the air, but credit to Bridgey,” Wright-Phillips said. “My feelings are indescribable. The lads have been behind me all the time. The more games you play, the better you get.”

It is ironic that Wright-Phillips should provide such affirmation of his ability against West Ham United, who tried to sign him during the January transfer window. Peter Ken-yon, the Chelsea chief executive, accepted a £9.8 million bid but was overruled by José Mourinho, who granted Wright-Phillips’s request for a final chance to prove himself.

The Chelsea manager will be glad that he stuck to his guns.