Old-boy Nicolas Anelka plunged Manchester City into a relegation crisis with a two-goal salvo at Eastlands.

Anelka netted a first-half brace to ensure Bolton were never seriously threatened in a north-west derby which saw the Blues badly exposed.

If the result itself was not bad enough, leaving City perilously placed two points from the drop zone, they also had key man Joey Barton sent off late on meaning he will miss crucial matches against Sheffield United, West Ham and Everton over the festive period.

The sight of Anelka taking the field in the white shirt of Bolton was like a ghost of Christmas past for City fans.

When Kevin Keegan smashed the Blues transfer record, paying £13.5million for the much-travelled Frenchman, it marked the height of the wave which swept them back into the Premiership.

In the dressing room with Anelka at that time were the likes of Peter Schmeichel and Marc-Vivien Foe, players capable of matching Anelka's undoubted class.

While the forward's two immediate opponents were former team mates in Richard Dunne and Sylvain Distin, in front of them were a collection of grafters, mostly attempting to make the most of their limited abilities.

If no-one could claim Anelka has been prolific since his arrival at the Reebok Stadium, by the time he netted his second against City he had matched the entire Premiership tally of any Blues player with the exception of Barton.

Poor Paul Dickov has yet to score at all since his summer switch from Blackburn. And the Scot was convinced his header from Hatem Trabelsi's hooked cross had gone over the line to bring City level before Jussi Jaaskelainen palmed it out.

The officials decided otherwise, TV replays proved nothing other than there was a matter of millimetres in it, Bolton escaped and promptly scored a second through Anelka which ultimately sealed the win before half-time.

Whether Dickov should have had a goal or not, there were glaring deficiencies evident in the home team which have lead even some of City's most hardened support fearing a financially catastrophic drop into the Championship.

The decision to pair Dickov with Darius Vassell - who had mustered one solitary leading goal between them - ahead of Samaras, at £6million the only player in City history to cost more than Anelka, was the measure of the giant Greek's lack of impact over the past 12 months.

Barton aside, a lightweight midfield offers nothing to fear at this level, while a defence which has been generally water-tight, retains the capacity to simply gift the opposition goals.

The combination is a recipe for disaster at any level and unless Pearce can find a solution during the January transfer window, top flight survival cannot be taken for granted.

Not that Anelka will be too bothered about that as he leads Bolton's unlikely assault on a Champions League place.

Given his City connections, it was always likely he would be the man to inflict the damage on his former club and, after Nicky Hunt had nipped past a daydreaming Ishmael Miller to continue a neat four-man passing move which went against all the old Bolton stereotypes, Anelka drove a superb seventh-minute shot past Nicky Weaver.

Anelka's second, his sixth of the season, hit virtually the same part of the net, with Henrik Pedersen the provider.

Even with so long left, there was no way back for the hosts, who were booed off at the end of both halves and also had Barton sent off for a ridiculous lunge on Abdoulaye Faye four minutes from time.

Teams

Man City Weaver, Onuoha, Dunne, Distin, Thatcher (Dabo 56),Trabelsi, Barton, Ireland, Miller, Vassell, Dickov (Samaras 55).

Subs Not Used: Isaksson, Jordan, Beasley.

Sent Off: Barton (87).

Booked: Dickov.

Bolton Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Meite, Ben Haim,Pedersen (Gardner 87), Nolan, Campo, Faye, Speed, Anelka,Diouf (Vaz Te 72).

Subs Not Used: Walker, Teimourian, Tal.

Booked: Diouf, Faye, Hunt.

Goals: Anelka 8, 25.

Att: 40,157

Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).