As Townsend stars in Palace win
went close to grabbing a point but Roy Hodgson’s team successfully held out.
The defeat was City’s second in three league games and handed the title initiative to Liverpool, who won 2-0 at Wolves on Saturday. The two teams meet on January 4 (NZ time).
On a day of top-flight upsets, former England striker Jamie Vardy scored the only goal to guide Leicester to a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge and inflict fourth-placed Chelsea’s first home league defeat of the season as well.
Eden Hazard struck the crossbar in the first half and teammate Marcus Alonso hit the post late on as Chelsea lost at home to Leicester for the first time in 18 years.
In the late game, Manchester United’s post-Jose Mourinho era started in spectacular style, with a 5-1 crushing of hosts Cardiff City as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – who spent nine months in charge of Cardiff when the Welsh club was relegated in 2014 – had the most comfortable of rides in his first match as United’s interim manager.
Elsewhere, fifth-placed Arsenal drew level on points with Chelsea after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck twice in a 3-1 win over Burnley.
Southampton won for the second successive match under new coach Ralph Hasenhuttl when they claimed a 3-1 result at Huddersfield, while Watford ended West Ham’s run of four consecutive victories by winning
2-0 at the London Stadium. Bournemouth won 2-0 at home to Brighton, and Newcastle’s home game with Fulham ended
0-0.