Yaya Toure grabs hat-trick as Manchester City smack five past hapless Fulham

YAYA Toure scored a hat-trick as Manchester City maintained their EPL title challenge with a 5-0 win at home to bottom club Fulham.

YAYA Toure scored a hat-trick as Manchester City maintained their Premier League title challenge with a 5-0 win at home to bottom club Fulham.

Fernando Amorebieta gave Toure a helping hand, conceding two penalties with rash challenges that earned the visiting defender a red card and allowed the Ivorian to put City 2-0 up.

He completed his treble with a magnificent third goal and further strikes from Fernandinho and Martin Demichelis sealed a win that took City to within six points of leaders Chelsea, with three games in hand.

Fernandinho celebrates with Stevan Jovetic after grabbing City’s fourth.

Manuel Pellegrini's side had made a slow start to the game at the Etihad Stadium, with the home crowd growing unsettled until Amorebieta gifted them the opening goal after 25 minutes.

There appeared little danger as Alvaro Negredo jumped to try and control a through ball on his chest, but the Fulham centre-back kicked the Spanish forward from behind and referee Jonathan Moss awarded a penalty.

Toure showed admirable poise, taking his time in approaching the ball before sending David Stockdale the wrong way for a 1-0 lead.

Amorebieta escaped with a yellow card on that occasion, but his afternoon came to an abrupt end in the 52nd minute when he made an impetuous tackle on David Silva and conceded a second penalty.

After the Venezuelan was shown a red card, Toure again made short work of the resulting penalty, beating Stockdale in almost identical fashion.

The hat-trick goal, comfortably the pick of the three, came from a short free-kick that Samir Nasri laid off for Toure to curl an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho added a fourth six minutes from time when Fulham defended poorly at a City corner, enabling him to shrug aside William Kvist before scoring from a wide angle.

And there was time for defender Demichelis to tap into an open goal in the 88th minute after Stockdale had deflected Stevan Jovetic's shot into his path.

Meanwhile, Sunderland remain in the drop zone after going down to a 2-0 defeat by relegation rivals Norwich City at Carrow Road.

Norwich were in front on 20 minutes when Wes Brown’s poor clearance went straight to Johan Elmander and he teed up Robert Snodgrass for an emphatic finish.

The Canaries’ second goal was an absolute belter on 32 minutes when a headed clearance dropped to Alex Tettey and the midfielder let fly with a stunning first-time volley which flew beyond Vito Mannone.

Ross Barkley was in sparkling form for Everton.

Roberto Martinez enjoyed victory over his former club as Everton closed out a 3-2 win over Swansea City at Goodison Park.

Everton took a 20th minute lead when Chico Flores brought down Ross Barkley just inside the box and Leighton Baines placed his penalty beyond the reach of Michel Vorm.

Swansea levelled just past the half-hour mark through Wilfried Bony but the hosts regained the lead on 53 minutes when Romelu Lukaku finished off from close range.

Kevin Mirallas was the creator of Everton’s third goal five minutes later when his corner from the left was allowed to drift to the far post where Barkley stooped to head home.

Ashley Williams headed a Pablo Hernandez corner in off the bar in added time, but Everton saw out the closing moments to move up to fifth in the table.

Liam Rosenior scored his first goal for Hull City and Shane Long was on target against his old club as Steve Bruce’s side beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 at the KC Stadium.

Papiss Cisse headed home a last-minute winner as Newcastle United snatched a 1-0 success over Crystal Palace at St James’ Park.