London: Yohan Cabaye slammed home a decisive 71st-minute penalty as Crystal Palace won 1-0 at Watford on Sunday to climb to sixth place in the Premier League table.

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The France international struck from the spot after Allan Nyom was penalised for sliding in on Wilfried Zaha on the left-hand edge of the penalty area.

It was the first goal Watford had conceded at Vicarage Road since securing promotion from the Championship last season, as Quique Sanchez Flores` side missed out on a third consecutive victory.

Palace had lost their two previous games, to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, but Alan Pardew`s side are now back among the European places, four points below leaders Manchester United. Watford slip to 13th.

Watford were unchanged from their 2-1 win at Newcastle United last weekend and they were the first side to chance their arm on a summery afternoon, with Etienne Capoue shooting wide from out on the right.

Chances were at a premium in a cagey first half, but Palace went close in the 13th minute when Cabaye`s free-kick met the head of Brede Hangeland, who was denied at point-blank range by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

The home side began to assert themselves in the second period, however, with Jose Manuel Jurado curling a free-kick against the bar from 25 yards and Wayne Hennessey saving a crisp low shot from Almen Abdi.

But as the game approached the hour mark, Palace`s rapid counter-attacks began to cause Watford problems.

Bakary Sako saw a deflected free-kick touched around the post by Gomes and Dwight Gayle side-footed a shot against the right-hand post before Nyom`s rash challenge enabled Cabaye to put the visitors in front.

The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder confidently drove his spot-kick into the top-left corner and Palace would have won more comfortably had Gayle not shot wide from Zaha`s cross.

United finished the weekend top of the pile, for the first time since Alex Ferguson`s retirement as manager in 2013, after they beat Sunderland 3-0 on Saturday and previous leaders Manchester City lost 4-1 at Tottenham.