French striker Nicolas Anelka hit a second-half hat-trick as Manchester City came from behind to crush Aston Villa 4-1 in the premier league on Sunday. Fulham drew 2-2 at Birmingham City in a game in which both sides finished with 10 men, but the better football by far was at the City of Manchester Stadium. Trailing at the break to a header from Colombia striker Juan Pablo Angel after a poor display, Manchester City hit back with a free-kick from German midfielder Michael Tarnat and the first of two penalties by Anelka within five minutes of the re-start. The Frenchman scored again from the spot before breaking away to seal his first hat-trick in a City shirt and his team’s first league win at their new home. Coach Kevin Keegan, whose side moved up to third place in the table, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, told Sky Sports: “They deserved to be a goal up, but in the second half our work rate, passing and finishing all got better. “I thought everything that was good about us today started around Steve McManaman,” he added after an inspired debut performance by the former Real Madrid midfielder. “That’s not easy on your debut but for a player of his standing he probably expects to go out and do that.” City are two points behind Manchester rivals United and three points behind leaders Arsenal. Villa, with one win from five games under David O’Leary, are 15th with four points. O’Leary said: “We’ve got to fight, work hard and defend well in every game — and we did nothing. We didn’T even pass the ball in the second half and we were punished.
