Toure strikes twice as he returns to favour and peps up Guardiola
Much more of this and Pep Guardiola will be baking a cake every day for Yaya Touré, let alone giving him one for his birthday. The Ivory Coast midfielder was brought back into the fold for the first time since falling out of favour in the summer, and scored the two goals that took Manchester City back to the summit of the Premier League.
It was an amazing comeback for Touré, who felt slighted over a lack of birthday cake two years ago, and had not played for City since their Champions League qualifying win over Steau Bucharest in August, with Guardiola questioning his physical condition.
And even though he was not at his best, in line with most of his teammates, Touré showed his enduring qualities with a goal in each half to condemn Crystal Palace to their fifth successive defeat.
More importantly for City, victory lifted them back to a position at the top of the Premier League, level on points and goal difference with Liverpool.
City did not have the look of champions, however, as Guardiola readily conceded. “It was really tough. Obviously it was not our best performance, we were not brilliant and we were lucky to win the game in the end. There are a lot of things we can do better.” There was not much more he could have asked of Touré, though. “Yaya has been training really well and his physical condition is better than ever. I’m so happy for him and his family. He’s now a real part of the team and can help us achieve our targets. We need this kind of player. He’s very special.”
Touré was applauded into the dressing room by his team-mates afterwards and said: “They have always been brilliant with me, always supportive. I am professional and was prepared mentally and I knew that one day my manager would need me.”
Touré’s first goal was the sole highlight of an otherwise barren first half. James McArthur dithered and lost possession just outside Palace’s penalty area, and although they regained the ball on the left, Martin Kelly gave it straight to Sergio Agüero. Touré was lurking 20 yards from goal and, when he received the ball, exchanged passes with Nolito before firing a shot from 15 yards that took a deflection off James Tomkins’ leg and flew over Wayne Hennessey into the roof of the net.
It was harsh on Palace, who had held their own in a poor first half, and when Alan Pardew sent on Connor Wickham for the ineffective Andros Townsend at half-time, Palace showed more attacking intent. Jason Puncheon dinked in a delightful cross from the left and Christian Benteke, who had been anonymous thus far, directed his header straight at Claudio Bravo, who pushed the ball away from close range.
But Palace were rewarded in the 66th minute when Wickham equalised.
Moments earlier Agüero could have made it 2-0 to City but Hennessey smothered his shot and Joel Ward cleared it off the line. As the ball was moved upfield, Wilfried Zaha broke quickly and Wickham seized on the winger’s low cross before driving past Pablo Zabaleta and firing in a shot that Bravo reached but could not stop.
Suddenly the game was up for grabs – and it was City who took it. Kevin De Bruyne drilled in a low corner from the right, and with Palace’s defence seemingly asleep, Touré was unmarked six yards from goal to side-foot the ball past Hennessey.
The only black spot for City was the loss of Vincent Kompany just 35 minutes into his comeback from injury. The skipper had been hit in the head by Bravo’s knee a few minutes earlier and eventually had to come off looking groggy. Guardiola said: “Hopefully it won’t be anything serious.”
City head to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Palace must concentrate on a losing streak that has left them close to the relegation zone.
“We deserved something from the game but you can’t keep saying that,” lamented Pardew. “We need to get points. We have got games coming up that we have more chance of winning.”