Yaya Toure reveals it is ‘good to be back’ for Man City

Pep Guardiola has played a blinder.

Pep Guardiola can presumably expect a phone call this week from Yaya Toure’s agent, the Spaniard’s bete noire Dimitri Seluk, demanding his client is handed a pay rise. Saturday proves that the manager won the battle and the war of words.

Of course, a serious injury to any other member of the squad would open the door to Toure, just as Samir Nasri’s tendon injury last season allowed Iheanacho to be registered in January.

Rather than cave in to Seluk’s public spat of verbal cat and mouse, Guardiola stuck to his principles.

All Toure wants to do now is to play football again. Crystal Palace are in trouble and they needed a performance in front of their fans.

The Ivory Coast global played 32 times for City last season, but had so far been unable to force his way into Guardiola’s plans. And it looks like Guardiola picked the right man, Toure’s brace proof that he is still willing to earn his place on the team, and not just sit on his remunerative contract.

Toure’s fire may be dwindling, but it still sends up the odd spark.

“It was so uncomfortable because Palace are such a tough team and did so well, and we were lucky to win the game in the end and be up again (near the top)”. It was a good day for the Citizens – Liverpool were held to a point by Southampton while Manchester United and Arsenal drew in the lunchtime kick-off.

“Yaya’s trained really well; his physical condition is better than ever”.

“I belong to the field and I’m very happy to be in there”. He is going to help us to rotate the team, we need that.

“We have a new player now”, he beamed after watching Toure’s team-mates give him a hero’s reception. He can not be of any help this round in the UEFA Champions League but he sure will be used for Manchester City during the Premier League season.

The switch in Guardiola’s mood is astonishing and, had it come without any change in behaviour from Toure, would be considered weak management. “In the long-term we have to play better”. A testing situation has been flipped on its head.

“They have always been brilliant with me, always supportive”, Toure said.

As in recent games, they could consider themselves unfortunate to lose, but that is a habit of which they will want to rid themselves soon. Their points-per-game ratio of 0.71 in 2016 is the worst in England’s top four divisions, and manager Alan Pardew said: “I am hoping in the next five games we get our slice of luck and a little break here and there”.

But it was Toure who let his football do the talking by scoring the victor seven minutes from time to earn the visitors only their second win in the league from their last six games and condemn Palace to a fifth straight defeat. The exceptional talents on Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne on each of City’s wings led the response with which they sought to restore their lead, but to Palace’s credit they have reappeared after the worldwide football break with a more organised defence. Now we have Yaya. Even his advancing years underplay his footballing age.

Toure himself was thrilled to be back playing for City and thanked his teammates for their support.

“In that moment I thought, “We have to make a lot of things to win” and when you are not in a good performance and you need a win, it’s impossible to win”.