**Carlos Tevez scored a 12-minute hat-trick as Manchester City beat Wigan at Eastlands to keep their chances of a Champions League spot alive.**City had been poor before the break, but the sending off of Wigan’s Gary Caldwell was the turning point.
First Tevez took advantage of a calamitous goalkeeping error from Vladimir Stojkovic to tap home.
Two minutes later he slid in at the far post to double the lead before helping himself to a superb solo effort.
The win leaves City two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham having played the same amount of games, while Wigan remain just four points above the relegation zone.
Prior to the match, City had won just one of their nine encounters with Wigan in the Premier League.
City boss Roberto Mancini made four changes to the side beaten at home by Everton last Wednesday, with Emmanuel Adebayor returning having completed a four-match ban.
Craig Bellamy, Gareth Barry and Micah Richards were rested, with Shaun Wright-Phillips, Patrick Vieira and Javier Garrido also drafted into the starting line-up.
But for all the changes it was Wigan who made the brighter start, pressing in midfield and reducing the home faithful to virtual silence for the first 10 minutes of the match.
But City had the first chance, Tevez cutting in from the left and feeding Adebayor, only for Titus Bramble to block the Togolese international’s left-footed shot.
Stojkovic, starting in place of the virus-stricken Chris Kirkland, then made a fine reaction save from a Tevez volley after a clumsy piece of defending from Maynor Figueroa allowed Wright-Phillips to deliver a cross.
Yet without the ball City were listless, allowing Wigan far too much time on the ball: first Paul Scharner was allowed to shoot from just outside the box, his effort sailing wide, before Hugo Rodallega had a shot tipped wide by Shay Given.
Tevez, though, always looked dangerous with the ball at his feet, and his curled effort after an incisive break down the left missed by inches.
And shortly before half-time Tevez had a penalty appeal turned down, with referee Stuart Attwell correctly adjudging Caldwell had not made contact.
But for all the endeavour of Tevez and winger Adam Johnson, City were still booed off at half-time, while Mancini was already halfway to the dressing room when the whistle sounded.
Craig Bellamy replaced Wright-Phillips at the break and Adebayor found the net shortly after the restart, but he was in an off-side position when Stojkovic fumbled Tevez’s shot.
Rodallega had a golden opportunity to score for the Latics after City made a hash of defending a long free-kick but he flashed his right-foot shot wide, just before the visitors were reduced to 10 men.
Caldwell was the man to see red, referee Attwell deciding his robust tackle on Tevez constituted a two-footed challenge, although the punishment seemed harsh.
Caldwell’s dismissal momentarily galvanised Martinez’s men, with first Marcelo Moreno going close with a shot from outside the area before Rodallega almost latched onto a floated cross from Figueroa.
City came swarming back as the game opened up, with Tevez squaring when perhaps he should have shot and then having a dubious penalty claim turned down after a challenge by Scharner.
But when Wigan’s defiance was finally brought to an end, Wigan boss Roberto Martinez would have been distraught it was down to a dreadful piece of goalkeeping by Stojkovic.
Patrick Vieira, who had been largely anonymous until that point, poked a ball over the top and the Serb international inexplicably chose not to claim it, allowing Tevez to tap in after the ball had squirted free.
Stojkovic somewhat unconvincingly claimed Adebayor had gone in high, although there was certainly a hint of off-side.
Two minutes later Tevez doubled City’s lead, sliding in at the far post to convert a cross from Garrido, and six minutes from time the Argentine made it three, skipping past two players before leaving Stojkovic for dead with a fine finish from just outside the box.
Wigan29 Stojkovic05 Caldwell red card07 Scharner yellow card19 Bramble yellow card25 Melchiot31 Figueroa06 Thomas (N’Zogbia 52)24 McCarthy27 Diame18 Moreno (Gohouri 81)20 Rodallega (Scotland 81)Substitutes12 Pollitt,02 Gohouri,11 Moses,14 N’Zogbia,15 Gomez,16 Sinclair,09 ScotlandRef: AttwellAtt: 43,534WIGANPossessionMan City 52%Wigan 48%Attempts on targetMan City 8Wigan 3Attempts off targetMan City 2Wigan 6CornersMan City 3Wigan 4FoulsMan City 12Wigan 13
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.