Mario Balotelli grabbed a hat-trick as Villa’s nightmare after Christmas continued with an emphatic defeat at Manchester City.

Villa suffered a 2-1 loss to Spurs at Villa Park on Boxing Day and barely two days they later they were outmuscled and outclassed by a rampant City side.

Manager Gerard Houllier made three changes from the team which lost at Spurs, as Barry Bannan came into the side in place of the injured Emile Heskey.

Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov also returned to the starting line-up along with Nigel Reo-Coker, while Jonathan Hogg and Fabian Delph both dropped to the bench.

City were quickly out of the blocks and their early persistence was rewarded when Villa right-back Eric Lichaj clumsly brought down Balotelli inside the penalty area in the eighth minute.

Referee Michael Oliver wasted little hesitation in pointing to the spot and Italian striker Balotelli dusted himself down, before calmly sending goalkeeper Brad Friedel the wrong way with a low finish.

Roberto Mancini’s side looked eager to prove a point and grabbed a second in the 13th minute, when Adam Johnson’s corner was met by the near-post run of Joleon Lescott, who angled his header into the top-left corner.

Bannan attempted to nod the ball off the line at the back post, but the assistant referee signalled that the ball had already crossed the line.

Villa seemed unable to get out of their half and the game was effectively over by the 28th minute after a brilliant piece of play by David Silva, who had switched flanks with Adam Johnson.

The Spanish winger dribbled past Stephen Warnock and exchanged a superb one-two with Yaya Toure, before he struck a low left-footed shot from just inside the penalty area.

Friedel was able to get a hand on the shot but he could only parry the ball into the path of Balotelli, who will not score an easier goal this season, to tap the ball into an empty net.

Villa had a rare sight of goal just before the break and it was little surprise that it was Marc Albrighton who provided it.

The in-form winger jinked past Micah Richards and Vincent Kompany before hitting a powerful low shot at goal which was brought a fine save out of England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Hart did spill the ball inside the box, but Reo-Coker was unable to get a touch to divert it past him and the ball was cleared to safety.

City’s dominance continued after the half-time interval and they notched their fourth with a second penalty, after Albrighton mistimed a tackle on Johnson in the box in the 55th minute.

Balotelli again had the better of Friedel and deceived the  goalkeeper with a similar spot-kick to the first and completed his hat-trick.

Hart was forced to make a couple of late saves from Fabian Delph and Lichaj, but that was as close as Villa got in an afternoon to forget for Houllier’s side.