Pep: I got Ya back
about my decision. It is about his quality,” Guardiola said.
“Yaya’s a normal guy. His emotions are quiet so he was calm before the game. Yaya has trained really well for the last month-and-a-half, two months. His physical condition, his weight is better than ever and I’m so happy for him and especially his family.
“I’m so happy because he’s now a real part of the team. He can help us to achieve our targets because we need all our players in order to achieve our targets.
“And now we have Yaya. He was in training every day with us and I’m so happy for that, so glad, not (just) for today’s performance. Now he is ready as the player who can play with us again.
“I am happy that is comfortable for him, and especially his family, his wife. Yaya is a very special player. We are very happy he is staying with us and he can play for us like he did today.”
Toure was applauded back into the City changing room after the match by every member of the squad, a reaction that Guardiola described as normal.
“Yaya is a guy who was here for five or six years.
“He has a lot of experience and a lot of quality,” he said. “His teammates and the staff appreciate him a lot.
“So that’s no doubt why they were so happy.”
While Guardiola relaxed with his team level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, Palace manager Alan Pardew admitted his side’s fifth consecutive league defeat was worrying.
“The priority for us is getting points on the board. We really gifted Man City two goals today from mistakes that led to the first goal and the second goal,” he said.
“Our set-up at corners wasn’t completed and should have been better.
“We should be a top three place set piece team in both boxes and we’re probably in the bottom three so that’s an area we must improve on.
“The Premier League is unforgiving. We got proof of that today. We made a couple of errors and got punished for it.”
With Palace dangerously close to the relegation zone, Pardew knows his position will come under scrutiny, but he is confident there is time to steady the ship. – AFP