Manchester United preserved their seven-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, defeating West Bromwich Albion 2-0 as the champions scraped a 4-3 win at Norwich City.

United manager Alex Ferguson was the centre of pre-match attention at Old Trafford for an outspoken attack on Newcastle United counterpart Alan Pardew, but his side got down to business quickly and went ahead in the ninth minute.

The scorer wore a blue and white shirt, however, with West Brom defender Gareth McAuley inadvertently shinning the ball into his own goal after Ashley Young drove a low cross across the face of goal.

Former United goalkeeper Ben Foster tipped a Young shot onto the crossbar, but United were not able to breathe easily until substitute Robin van Persie curled a glorious shot into the top-left corner in the last minute.

City lost Samir Nasri to a first-half red card at Norwich but edged an open-ended encounter thanks in no small part to Edin Dzeko, who scored twice and might have had a hat-trick.

The Bosnian, who has had to become accustomed to a role on the substitutes' bench this season, struck twice inside the opening four minutes to put City in control at Carrow Road. But Norwich hit back through a deflected Anthony Pilkington free-kick and the visitors were then dealt a blow when Nasri was sent off for aiming a head-butt at Sebastien Bassong.

Sergio Aguero's deft, lobbed finish restored City's two-goal cushion in the 50th minute and although Russell Martin headed in for Norwich, Dzeko made it 4-2 when his shot hit the post and bounced in off Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

Martin scored again with 15 minutes to go, prodding in from close range after City failed to clear a corner, but Roberto Mancini's men were able to hang on. Aston Villa's recent miseries continued as they sank 3-0 at home to Wigan Athletic.

Aston Villa's season went from bad to worse with a crushing 3-0 defeat by relegation rivals Wigan that left the future of under-fire coach Paul Lambert in further doubt. Goals from Ivan Ramis, Emmerson Boyce and Arouna Kone ensured Villa went scoreless in a third consecutive defeat, a run in which they have conceded 15 goals after losing 8-0 to Chelsea and 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Villa would have slipped into the relegation zone had third-bottom Southampton not been denied victory in a 3-3 draw at Stoke City, and they now sit behind Wigan, level on 20 points, in 16 and 17th positions respectively.

Villa were in the ascendancy for the end of the first-half and early in the second period, Belgian Christian Benteke in particular causing problems. But the home side were the ones to relent, conceding a brace of goals in the 52nd and 56th minutes.