( CNN ) -- Manchester City thumped Arsenal and then downed Liverpool at home this month in the English Premier League so not many expected relegation threatened Crystal Palace to put up a fight at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday . But the Eagles , rejuvenated under Tony Pulis , did just that and it took Edin Dzeko 's goal midway in the second half to finally put the visitors away . City won 1-0 to improve to a perfect 10-0-0 in the league at home this season and , without its closest rivals playing until Sunday , overtook Arsenal by two points atop the division . Defending champion Manchester United also struggled -- though not as much as City -- as it played without the injured Wayne Rooney but edged Norwich City 1-0 to collect a sixth successive victory in all competitions . City manager Manuel Pellegrini made six changes to the side that doubled Liverpool 2-1 on Boxing Day , naming the likes of Alvaro Negredo , Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri to the substitutes ' bench . Even though City bossed possession -- at 77 percent -- Crystal Palace matched the host in shots on target . And it was the first time City had n't scored at least twice at home in the top flight this term . `` We did n't have a fresh team , '' Pellegrini told Sky Sports . `` And it 's very difficult when you have one team that wants to play and the other wants to defend . `` That was the game we saw today . That 's not what we 're used to doing at the Etihad . '' Although Pellegrini essentially said that Palace parked the bus , recently reinstated City goalkeeper Joe Hart made a string of good saves -- after sustaining a cut under his eye in a collision with Cameron Jerome -- before and after Dzeko broke through in the 66th minute . Welbeck winner . Rooney , in fine form , missed United 's trip to Norwich due to a lingering groin strain but Manchester United said he should be available for Wednesday 's clash against Tottenham . United manager David Moyes did n't start Danny Welbeck , either -- he has enjoyed recent success -- but the striker came off the bench to net the winner in the 57th minute . The Red Devils , who rallied to beat Hull 3-2 on the road Thursday , remained seven points behind Manchester City but climbed to sixth . `` To win back-to-back games in the Premier League in three days away from home is really difficult , '' Moyes told Sky . `` Some teams do n't play until tomorrow . `` We had two games in three days , and I have to say the squad coped really well . `` I was delighted to get the result . I thought Norwich played really well . '' Elsewhere , Cardiff City conceded deep in injury time and had to settle for a 2-2 draw against last-place Sunderland ; Hull rebounded from the loss to Manchester United , routing poor traveler Fulham 6-0 ; and West Ham and West Bromwich Albion produced six goals in a 3-3 draw in London . Aston Villa snapped a four-match losing streak although did n't beat Swansea at home , drawing 1-1 . Cardiff looked set to claim all three points in its first game since manager Malky Mackay was fired , taking a 2-0 lead . But Steven Fletcher pulled a goal back for Sunderland in the 83rd minute and Jack Colbeck equalized on a deflected effort in the fifth minute of added time . Arsenal travels to surging Newcastle on Sunday and Chelsea hosts Liverpool in a battle of third versus fourth .
Manchester City takes 66 minutes to open the scoring against Crystal Palace . But City wins 1 - 0 to take its home record in the Premier League to 10 - 0 - 1 . Manchester United makes it six victories in a row by blanking Manchester City 1 - 0 . Arsenal visits Everton and Chelsea hosts Liverpool on Sunday .