Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has admitted that the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon was the most difficult home game of the season so far.

Dzeko scored what proved to be the winner in the 66th minute and concedes that it was crucial that City finished the first half of the season with another home victory.

"It was a hard game, maybe the toughest at this stadium in the Premier League this season," BBC Sport quotes Dzeko as saying. "It was the last game of 2013 and we wanted to finish with a win."

The result lifted City above Arsenal into first in the Premier League.