Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola left unhappy despite Crystal Palace win

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has expressed his frustration after errors from his side “gifted” Manchester City goals in their 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park.

With the likes of David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan returning exhausted from global duty and with a vital Champions League week coming up, the City boss handed Toure a belated chance in his Premier League line-up on Saturday and he responded in style.

But on Saturday he was named in the starting line up at Selhurst Park and scored twice in a hard-fought 2-1 win for Guardiola’s men that sends them level on points with league leaders Liverpool.

Guardiola denied regretting his decision not to select Toure for Europe, and insisted their victory at Palace – on an occasion when they were below their best – had demonstrated their ability to win the Premier League.

With Ilkay Gundogan missing out yesterday, Yaya Toure was able to slot right in for Manchester City. “The players know that because they can play really, really well – and they know that if we play that way we can achieve our targets”.

“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.

Yaya was, for the last two months, training really well.

“We have a new player now”, he beamed after watching Toure’s team mates give him a hero’s reception. The 45-year-old would be more comfortable with dominant performances like that seen against Middlesbrough at home earlier this month – even though they drew that game.

Pardew said: “If you look at the five games, the distance and the margin between the win and the fact that we have lost all five, is a little bit unusual if I’m honest”.

“A couple of weeks ago it was a sickener at Burnley and it is the same here, and we need to learn from it”.

Guardiola himself did not issue an apology but all politics aside he knows that Toure is a quality player and one that can help City mount a title challenge. Since joining City in 2010, the Ivorian has more Premier League goals than any other midfielder (59). That was in the second leg of City’s Champions League playoff round against Steaua Bucharest. We have use any means necessary to try and win the game.

Palace struck soon after they nearly conceded to Aguero, but Wayne Hennessey made a good save to deny the Argentine striker and Ward cleared off the line.

“We were in the game and looking unsafe on the break, and 1-1 would have been enough to stop the run”, he said.

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