Manchester: Yaya Toure scored the only goal as Manchester City finally saw off Stoke 1-0 to claim three crucial Premier League points on Saturday.
After two league games without a win and a loss to Barcelona midweek, City were facing more frustration at the hands of former manager Mark Hughes until Toure struck in the 70th minute.
Stoke had the better of the first half at the Etihad Stadium but City finished strongly and would have won by more had Edin Dzeko not produced a remarkable miss. Dzeko failed to make a clean connection when picked out unmarked, with an open goal, two yards out.
But third-placed City, without another league game until March 15, ensured they remain three points behind leader Chelsea with a game in hand.
Cardiff had their worst home defeat in 14 years on Saturday with their 4-0 loss to Hull in the Premier League raising doubts over the future of Bluebirds boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
A deflected shot from Tom Huddlestone in the 18th minute, a brace from the clinical Nikica Jelavic either side of the interval and a goal on the counterattack from Jake Livermore in the 67th pushed Hull firmly into mid-table.
Cardiff are down in 19th place, three points and at least nine goals from safety with 11 matches of the season left.
Solskjaer reverted to using Kenwyne Jones and top-scorer Fraizer Campbell up front, in pursuit of the cutting edge that has been lacking from the Welsh side's play for much of the season. The pair had plenty of chances but failed to convert any.
Fulham goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg's late howler gifted West Brom a deserved 1-1 draw on Saturday and denied Felix Magath the perfect start as Cottagers manager.
The visitors appeared poised to finally lift themselves off the foot of the Premier League on the back of a 28th-minute strike from Ashkan Dejagah, who took one touch before incisively rifling a low right-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.
However, just four minutes from time at The Hawthorns, Stekelenburg fluffed a 10-yard drive from substitute Matej Vydra.
Despite the Dutchman's strenuous efforts to stop the ball crossing the line, referee Mike Dean was aided by the goal decision system, handing West Brom their fourth consecutive home draw under new manager Pepe Mel after going behind.
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