PHOTOS: Dzeko sizzles for City; United stay clear on top

Edin Dzeko shone to give 10-man Manchester City a battling 4-3 victory at Norwich City but leaders Manchester United also won as own goals and more controversial refereeing marked the last Saturday of 2012.

City striker Dzeko scored twice in the first four minutes and another of his strikes was credited as an own goal by goalkeeper Mark Bunn at Norwich where Samir Nasri's 44th-minute red card had threatened the champions' dominance.

"Today we showed we are there for the title," Mancini said.

After 20 of 38 games, United have 49 points to City's 42 but Roberto Mancini will be glad his champions did not slip further behind after playing with 10 men for over a half at Norwich.

Manchester United maintained their seven-point advantage over City at the top after Gareth McAuley turned the ball into his own net and substitute Robin van Persie netted in a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at a sodden Old Trafford.

"(Van Persie) changed the game for us," United boss Alex Ferguson told the BBC. "When I brought him and Paul Scholes on they settled the game down for us. West Brom dominated in the second half and kept pumping the ball into our box.

"We're in a good position. We're halfway there."

In another bumper day for Premier League goals, resurgent Arsenal went fifth after a thrilling 7-3 home win over Newcastle United with contract rebel Theo Walcott scoring a hat-trick.

In-form Tottenham Hotspur moved third following a 2-1 comeback win at Sunderland where an apoplectic Gareth Bale was again booked for diving while fourth-bottom Aston Villa lost their third in a row in a 3-0 home defeat by Wigan Athletic.

Paul Lambert's Villa have conceded 15 in the three games and scored none.

"I think we started well, we went one goal down but were on top of the game really. We showed our character," match-winner Aaron Lennon said.

Ten-man Stoke City were facing a first home loss since February but a superb late Cameron Jerome strike secured a 3-3 draw with struggling Southampton and Reading pulled themselves away from last spot with a 1-0 home win over West Ham United.

Swansea City shrugged off the injury absence of top scorer Michu to triumph 2-1 at Fulham where stand-in striker Danny Graham grabbed the opener.