Premier League: Manchester City 2 West Ham 1

Manchester City boosted their Champions League hopes and dealt another huge blow to West Ham’s survival prospects with a 2-1 win.

City raced into a two-goal lead inside 15 minutes at Eastlands on Sunday with goals from Nigel de Jong and Pablo Zabaleta in a one-sided encounter.

But Demba Ba’s 34th minute goal brought the Hammers back into the match and, despite being the better side, City were left hanging on anxiously until the full time whistle.

The result puts City seven points above nearest rivals Liverpool and Spurs in the race for fourth spot while West Ham are rock bottom – three points from safety.

City dominated the early possession and broke the deadlock in the 10th minute through the most unlikeliest of sources.

David Silva’s corner was cleared to de Jong, who smashed a low 30-yard drive beyond West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green for his first goal in 84 games for the Sky Blues.

The second followed five minutes later when City cut through the West Ham defence with ease, Zabaleta exchanging passes with Silva before clipping the ball past Green, with Lars Jacobsen’s attempted clearance smashing off the underside of the crossbar and over the line.

But the home side took their foot off the gas and just after the half hour, the Hammers should have pulled a goal back when Robbie Keane was put through one-one with Joe Hart, only to send a weak shot straight at the keeper.

However, two minutes later they did have a lifeline when City failed to clear Thomas Hitzlsperger’s cross and Ba prodded home from 10 yards.

City came out for the second half with renewed vigour and almost restored their two-goal advantage when Balotelli smashed a curling shot into the crossbar.

Both sides could have scored within seconds just after the hour mark.

Hart pulled off a good save to deny Manuel da Costa’s header from a Hitzlsperger corner.

Then City broke to the other end when Yaya Toure’s defence-splitting pass played in Silva, who took the ball round Green and laid the ball to Balotelli, but his weak attempt was scrambled off the line by James Tomkins

As tensions began to grow, Silva missed another chance from six yards and substitute Edin Dzeko hit a vicious 25-yard strike that was spilled by Green.

The West Ham goalkeeper then tipped over a deflected Silva strike and the Spaniard hit another long-ranger inches over the bar.

Carlton Cole hit an effort from 20 yard in West Ham’s only real shot at an equaliser late on, but Joleon Lescott was in the way to clear as City held on.