The incentive was high for Fenerbahce, and they needed to respond after being knocked out of the Turkish Cup in the middle of the week at the hands of their arch-rivals, which also saw the bizarre moment where Jose Mourinho pinched the nose of Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk.
For 45 minutes, it was a toothless performance from Fenerbahce, and they were stunned on the cusp of half time when Denis Dragus gave Trabzonspor the lead.
Fener looked in trouble, but the momentum swung at the start of the second half when they were fortunate to be awarded a really soft penalty after Bright Osayi-Samuel was deemed to have been fouled.
Anderson Talisca, who was brought on at the break, converted, and it was one-way traffic from that moment on.
It was the Brazilian who continued to steal the show. Milan Skriniar scored his second goal in two league games to help Fenerbahce go 2-1 up 60th minute, but Talisca put the game to bed with two more goals to complete his hat-trick, including a wonderous volley to seal a 4-1 win.
Signed in January from Al Nassr, Talisca has a very positive reputation in Turkey.
The enigmatic forward spent three years on loan at Besiktas, scoring 37 goals and providing 14 assists in 80 games for the club.
Blessed with a fabulous left foot and tons of technical ability, Talisca has never really fulfilled the potential that many believed he had when he was a young player at Benfica.
Issues with his attitude and general laziness contributed to him spending a lot of his time away from the best leagues and instead plying his trade in countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
He hasn't been that impressive since moving to Fenerbahce, but fans will be hoping that his performance against Trabzonspor on the weekend can kickstart his career. If he hits top form, he will be a crucial figure for the remainder of the season.
So, a critical win for Fenerbahce, and they have closed the gap to Galatasaray at the top to just three points. It feels a little more than a three-point gap due to the fact that should they be level on points, Galatasaray will be ahead due to a superior head-to-head.
Nonetheless, it is a three-point gap, and they still have a chance of winning their first Super Lig title in 11 years. With nothing else to play for either, they can go full steam ahead with just eight games remaining.
Besiktas snatch late draw
Much like Fenerbahce, Besiktas were dumped out of the Turkish Cup last week after a 3-1 home loss to Goztepe, so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have demanded a response on Monday night against Burak Yilmaz's Kasimpasa.
However, the first half couldn't have gone any worse for them.
Kasimpasa took the lead after 15 minutes courtesy of Mortadha Ben Ouanes, before Besiktas were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute after Tayyip Talha Sanuc was given his marching orders.
Both teams had their chances from that point on, but as the game was looking like it was heading for a 1-0 win for the home side, Besiktas were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute. Gedson Fernandes stepped up to score and salvage a 1-1 draw.
A quick disclaimer here: the reason you see lots of red cards and penalties in the Super Lig is, in part, because of the fierce rivalries. But the most significant reason is that the threshold when it comes to these decisions is so low. You will see red cards and penalties given in this league that you would never see elsewhere.
I do wish referees in Turkey were tougher and allowed the game to flow more, but I think with the addition of VAR and how paranoid and volatile players and managers are in the country, that is unfortunately a thing of the past.
So it was certainly not the result Besiktas would have wanted before the match began, but considering the context, they will probably take it.
One player they will be really disappointed with is Ciro Immobile, however.
The Italian signed for the club in the summer and started his Besiktas career with eight goals in the first eight games.
A lot of those goals were penalties though, and his numbers have dipped dramatically ever since. In his last 14 games, he has scored just three goals, and he simply offers very little in his general play if he isn't scoring, especially at 35 years old.
Certainly an area of the pitch where Besiktas will need to strengthen in the summer.
Highlight of the week
Talisca's incredible volley from the edge of the box to complete his hat-trick for Fenerbahce is unquestionably the moment of the week.
Team of the week
Talisca was by far and away Flashscore's Player of the Week after registering a near perfect rating, according to our very own ratings system.
He is joined by Fener teammates Skriniar and Allan Saint-Maximin, while Besiktas' Fernandes also finds a place in the team.
Three Gaziantep defensive players make an appearance after their side drew 1-1 against Goztepe, despite facing 20 shots and their opponents having a 2.33 expected goals tally. Goalkeeper Mustafa Bozan was integral after saving a penalty.
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