(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. CNN
