MANCHESTER: Carlos Tevez scored his first Manchester City hat-trick as they went fourth in the English Premier League table with a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers here on Monday.

Victory meant City maintained their perfect record under Italian manager Roberto Mancini with their fourth straight success, even if they did concede their first goal under the former Inter Milan boss when Morten Gamst Pedersen scored for Rovers.

But the match belonged to Tevez who was in brilliant form as he made it 11 goals in his last nine games. The former Manchester United striker opened the scoring in the seventh minute and, after Micah Richards's superb second, Tevez struck two expert curling shots, the second in stoppage time, to seal City's win.

City are now just seven points behind leaders Chelsea. By contrast, defeat left Rovers just three points above the relegation zone.

The hosts wasted little time in taking the lead. Rovers and England keeper Paul Robinson's poor punch from Martin Petrov's corner fell to City striker Benjani Mwaruwari and the Zimbabwean's mishit shot went into the net off Tevez's thigh.

Rovers looked as if they might go in at half-time just a goal behind until, six minutes before the break, Richards started and finished a fine move with Benjani again involved in the build-up.

Richards ran some 50 yards from the heart of City's defence, beating several retreating Rovers players, before passing to Benjani inside the box. Benjani's shot hit the post but Richards, who'd continued his run, slotted home the rebound.

Rovers manager Sam Allardyce sent on strikers David Hoilett and Nikola Kalinic at half-time but it was City who scored next, just four minutes into the second-half. Tevez started the move from inside the City half before finding Benjani, who pulled the ball back to his onrushing fellow striker, who unleashed a 20-yard shot past Robinson.

Rovers pulled a goal back 19 minutes from time when Pedersen made the most of Kompany's mistake to score from 16 yards. And in the first minute of injury time, Tevez wrapped things up with a sublime finish.