I knew Pep Guardiola would need me – Yaya Toure

Toure celebrated his recall to Guardiola’s starting line-up with two goals in Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, after spending three months in the wilderness. Toure, 33, had a record season back in 2013/2014 when he netted 20 goals and added nine assists in Premier League play.

The disagreements can be attributed to Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk who had been vocally critical of Guardiola.

But that evidently satisfied Guardiola and Toure marked his return to favour in style.

“I thought there were a lot of positives in the game but they’re overshadowed by the end result and the way the goals have gone in”. I always want to be there to help them.

After all those much publicised “misunderstandings in the past”, for which the player had recently apologised, Toure is restored to the fray and contributing significantly once again.

“I belong to the field and I’m very happy to be in there”.

“The little tiny margins – It’s not like teams are running away from us and we’re are looking uncomfortable or you could doubt our work rate – I thought today it was phenomenal”.

“I like how they gave me a standing ovation”.

“City are always involved in the title race and we will keep it going”.

“It’s been well documented that he wants Bravo to come out and play from the back, but I think Joe Hart is a better goalkeeper than Bravo, and has got better feet”, Reid told Goal. I have been lucky.

“We can not win the title the way if we play like we did on Saturday”, he said.

If Toure continues to do well then Guardiola will have two decisions to make.

Asked if Toure had been selected to allow other players to rest in preparation for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Monchengladbach, Guardiola responded: “It’s for many, many, many reasons”.

“I am happy that is comfortable for him, and especially his family, his wife”.

“Yaya is a guy who was here for five or six years”.

On the face of it, the selection of a seasoned worldwide who has won five domestic titles and two Uefa Champions Leagues during a glittering club career in European football should not really come as much of a surprise.

“Players like they [Manchester City] have don’t need gifts like that to win games and we have done that having put up a good fight in what was an even contest for the majority of the game”.

But the City boss says he has been impressed by the player’s application while he was out of favour and feels he has a part to play in his side’s title challenge. “If you don’t do well you have to go on the bench”.

For all of Pardew’s disappointment, his team frequently threatened Manchester City, limited their chances, and were only frustrated by a convincing defensive performance.