Balotelli hat-trick as City go top of English Premier League

(CNN) -- Manchester City crushed Aston Villa 4-0 with Mario Balotelli scoring a hat-trick to go top of the English Premier League ahead of city rivals Manchester United's trip to Birmingham Tuesday.

Although City may only be at the head of affairs for a few hours, the manner of their victory suggested they will be a factor in the title race, but for Gerard Houllier's Villa it was another dispiriting defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur, who won 2-1 at Villa on Boxing Day, beat Newcastle 2-0 in another afternoon kick-off to leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place.

Goals from Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale in the second half maintained Tottenham's impressive recent run and spelt a second straight defeat for Newcastle under new manager Alan Pardew.

Bale scored the clinching second after a trademark surging run after Younes Kaboul had been sent off for the home side after tangling with Cheick Tiote.

At Eastlands, Balotelli proved a real handful for Villa, winning an early penalty after being hauled down by Eric Lichaj.

The Italian got up to convert the penalty and City were 2-0 ahead inside the first 15 minutes as Joleon Lescott headed home Adam Johnson's corner.

Balotelli scored his second from close range before the break and completed his hat-trick in the second half with his second successful penalty after Johnson was fouled by Marc Alrighton.

Elsewhere, promoted Blackpool continued their remarkable season under Ian Holloway with a 2-0 win at Sunderland to go eighth, having been the favorites to go straight back down at the start of the campaign.

Two second half goals from DJ Campbell gave Blackpool three points in their first match since December 11 after their own Bloomfield Road ground was unfit to play due to a frozen pitch.

Chris Baird scored two early goals as Fulham relieved some of the pressure on manager Mark Hughes with a 2-0 win at Stoke, while Blackburn's fans will be happier after Nikoli Kalinic scored twice in a 3-1 victory at West Brom.

Kalinic blotted his copybook by being sent off for a wild challenge in the second half, but new manager Steve Kean saw his team up to ninth with the win.