Mario Balotelli scored a hat-trick as Manchester City went top of the Premier League, for a few hours at least, after a 4-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Mario Balotelli scored a hat-trick as Manchester City went top of the Premier League, for a few hours at least, after a 4-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Tuesday.
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City's crushing win -- they were 3-0 up before half-time against a struggling Villa side -- saw them climb above Manchester United at the summit of English football.
But United will regain top spot if they avoid defeat away to Birmingham in Tuesday's final match.
"We did a good job," Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said.
Mancini revealed that Balotelli, his fellow Italian, was suffering from understandable homesickness after reports the striker wanted to leave Eastlands.
"He's only 20-years-old. It's the first time he goes away from home. But he's happy, maybe missing his family, but everything is fine."
Tottenham Hotspur meanwhile displaced Premier League champions Chelsea in the top four after a 2-0 win at home to Newcastle.
England international Aaron Lennon's second-half goal broke the deadlock at White Hart Lane.
Then, for the second match in a row, Spurs were reduced to 10 men when Younes Kaboul was sent off in the 65th minute after his head needlessly made contact with Newcastle's Cheik Tiote.
But, as was the case in their win over Villa, Spurs scored a second goal when a man down with in-form Wales midfielder Gareth Bale netting nine minutes from time.
"We are disappointed with the sending off, you don't do something that silly, but the lads were fantastic after that," Spurs boss Harry Redknapp said.
Blackpool's fairytale first season in the Premier League continued with a 2-0 win away to Sunderland secured by striker DJ Campbell's second-half double.
"They amaze me week in and week out," Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said of his side, who have defied all pre-season forecasts to be in eighth place.
"We rode our luck a little bit but we are absolutely delighted," he added after Blackpool inflicted Sunderland's first home league defeat of the season. "I can't thank the lads enough for their efforts. I'm on cloud nine."
At the other end of the table, Fulham climbed out of the bottom three with a 2-0 win away to Stoke City where Chris Baird netted twice for his first goals in four years.
It was only Fulham's third league success this season and their first away victory in the Premier League since August 2009.
"I thought we were good value, everybody stood up and was counted," said Fulham manager Mark Hughes.
Nikola Kalinic scored twice but was then sent off as Blackburn Rovers, whose Indian owners faced a legal challenge Tuesday to their takeover of the club, won 3-1 away to West Bromwich Albion.
West Ham, who climbed off the bottom of the table by beating Fulham on Sunday, remained in the relegation zone after a 1-1 draw at home to Everton.
Tony Hibbert's 16th minute own-goal gave the Hammers the lead before Everton's Seamus Coleman levelled three minutes before half-time when he turned in Australia international Tim Cahill's cross.
Chelsea, looking to bounce back from their 3-1 London derby defeat by Arsenal on Monday, face Bolton on Wednesday when the Gunners travel to Wigan and Liverpool welcome Wolves to Anfield.
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