Gundogan's goal was the German's third in the Premier League this season
Manchester City midfield pair Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandino were on target as Pep Guardiola's Premier League superiority over West Ham continued.
City have now won 10 out of 11 top-flight meetings with the Hammers under the Spaniard.
In a game played in a snow-storm before half-time, skipper Gundogan provided the decisive moment after 33 minutes when he turned home a deflected Riyad Mahrez effort at the far-post.
It was the Germany midfielder's third goal of the season - and his second in four league games - and was followed up in the final minute by Fernandinho, who had only been introduced three minutes earlier to tie the game up.
The veteran Brazilian had not scored a Premier League goal since October 2018 but found the target from the edge of the box.
Manuel Lanzini pulled one back with the final kick of the game, which cost Ederson his 100th clean sheet in all competitions but did nothing to prevent City moving back into second spot, six points clear of the Hammers.
The Londoners remain fourth despite suffering successive Premier League defeats for the first time since April.
Weather main threat to City winThe second half was delayed by almost 10 minutes so snow could be cleared from the pitch
Guardiola should offer special thanks to head groundsman Lee Jackson and his team for this latest victory.
As half-time approached with heavy snow falling on a pitch already covered in it, there was a real fear the game might not reach its conclusion.
Yet Jackson and his colleagues got to work and with the aid of a half-time interval extended by referee Michael Oliver by five minutes, and the surface was clear again when the game restarted, by which time the snow had stopped.
Jackson's reward was an effective home display, even if it was some way short of show-stopper.
West Ham keeper Lucasz Fabianski denied Gundogan a second and Bernardo Silva's excellent chipped finish counted for nothing thanks to an offside flag.
And Ederson, whose only significant save was turning away a fierce Declan Rice shot, was denied his personal milestone with a goal out of virtually nothing from Lanzini, when West Ham had no time to even think about an equaliser.
Below-par Hammers
Despite losing 22 out of 25 previous away games against the defending champions, West Ham can rarely have gone into such a fixture in more optimistic mood.
Yet they never really got going.
Fabianski was booed by the City fans inside the opening 10 minutes for apparent time-wasting and the experienced Poland goalkeeper was soon earning the wrath of David Moyes for a fluffed clearance that would have resulted in a goal had Mahrez not been offside when Raheem Sterling's block landed at his feet.
Arthur Masuaku's selection ahead of Jarrod Bowen was supposed to provide more protection down the West Ham left flank but City's array of attacking talent just found spaces elsewhere.
Ben Johnson's goalline clearance to deny Mahrez, who also hit the outside of the post, before half-time was followed up by Ryan Cresswell bravely sliding in to turn Gabriel Jesus' goal-bound effort away for a corner. It was effectively Cresswell's final contribution as he continued into the post with such force he needed to be replaced by Vladimir Coufal after hurting his back.
It made no fundamental difference to the flow of the game and West Ham will be thankful for the failings of others that their position in the table remains as it was.
What's next?
Manchester City's next Premier League game is at Aston Villa on Wednesday, 1 December (20:15 GMT). West Ham entertain Brighton at London Stadium on the same day (19:30 GMT).
- Follow live text coverage of Sunday's Premier League actionGo to the Man City pageGo to the West Ham page
Player of the match
RiceDeclan Rice
with an average of 6.69
- Man CityManchester CityManchester CityWest HamWest Ham UnitedWest Ham United
Manchester CityAvgSquad number8Player nameGündoganAverage rating
6.62
Squad number20Player nameBernardo SilvaAverage rating
6.61
Squad number25Player nameFernandinhoAverage rating
6.60
Squad number27Player nameJoão CanceloAverage rating
6.54
Squad number26Player nameMahrezAverage rating
6.34
Squad number9Player nameGabriel JesusAverage rating
6.26
Squad number16Player nameRodriAverage rating
6.22
Squad number3Player nameRúben DiasAverage rating
6.22
Squad number2Player nameWalkerAverage rating
6.20
Squad number31Player nameEdersonAverage rating
6.10
Squad number14Player nameLaporteAverage rating
6.07
Squad number7Player nameSterlingAverage rating
5.74
West Ham UnitedAvgSquad number41Player nameRiceAverage rating
6.69
Squad number10Player nameLanziniAverage rating
6.48
Squad number1Player nameFabianskiAverage rating
6.22
Squad number9Player nameAntonioAverage rating
6.21
Squad number22Player nameBenrahmaAverage rating
6.15
Squad number31Player nameJohnsonAverage rating
6.10
Squad number4Player nameZoumaAverage rating
6.10
Squad number15Player nameDawsonAverage rating
6.06
Squad number3Player nameCresswellAverage rating
6.04
Squad number20Player nameBowenAverage rating
5.99
Squad number8Player nameFornalsAverage rating
5.97
Squad number28Player nameSoucekAverage rating
5.91
Squad number5Player nameCoufalAverage rating
5.84
Squad number26Player nameMasuakuAverage rating
5.69
- Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text
Line-upsMan City
Formation 4-3-3
31Ederson2Walker3Rúben Dias14Laporte27Cancelo8Gündogan16Rodri20Bernardo Silva9Gabriel Jesus26Mahrez7Sterling
- 31Ederson2Walker3Rúben Dias14LaporteBooked at 29mins27CanceloBooked at 61mins8Gündogan16Rodri20Bernardo Silva9Gabriel Jesus26Mahrez7SterlingSubstituted forFernandinhoat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Stones6Aké11Zinchenko13Steffen25Fernandinho33Carson80Palmer87McAtee
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Fabianski31Johnson15Dawson4Zouma3Cresswell28Soucek41Rice8Fornals22Benrahma26Masuaku9Antonio
- 1Fabianski31Johnson15Dawson4Zouma3CresswellSubstituted forCoufalat 61'minutes28Soucek41Rice8Fornals22BenrahmaSubstituted forLanziniat 59'minutes26MasuakuSubstituted forBowenat 74'minutes9Antonio
Substitutes
- 5Coufal7Yarmolenko10Lanzini11Vlasic13Areola16Noble20Bowen23Diop33Král
Referee:Michael OliverMatch StatsHome TeamMan CityAway TeamWest HamPossessionHome69%Away31%ShotsHome19Away5Shots on TargetHome9Away3CornersHome8Away4FoulsHome7Away6Live TextPost update
Match ends, Manchester City 2, West Ham United 1.
90'+5'Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester City 2, West Ham United 1.
90'+4'goalGoal!
Goal! Manchester City 2, West Ham United 1. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner.
90'+4'Post update
Attempt missed. Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) header from the right side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Vladimir Coufal.
90'+2'Post update
Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City).
90'+2'Post update
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
90'+1'Post update
Offside, Manchester City. Fernandinho tries a through ball, but Bernardo Silva is caught offside.
90'goalGoal!
Goal! Manchester City 2, West Ham United 0. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.
89'Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Ben Johnson.
87'Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Fernandinho replaces Raheem Sterling.
85'Post update
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by João Cancelo.
82'Post update
Kyle Walker (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
82'Post update
Foul by Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United).
81'Post update
Attempt blocked. Rúben Dias (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez with a cross.
80'Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Pablo Fornals.
80'Post update
Attempt saved. Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Raheem Sterling.
78'Post update
Attempt saved. Declan Rice (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Fornals.
76'Post update
Foul by Rúben Dias (Manchester City).
76'Post update
Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
75'Post update
João Cancelo (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Source: bbc.com