Crystal Palace vs Manchester City. Premier League.
Selhurst ParkAttendance25,529.
Sunday 20 November 2016 08:05, UK
Yaya Toure marked his return to Manchester City's starting line-up by scoring twice in Pep Guardiola's side's 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
Making his first Premier League start of the season, Toure opened the scoring in the 39th minute after his shot deflected off James Tomkins and into the top corner.
Palace hit back in the second-half through substitute Connor WIckham (66) but City, who lost captain Vincent Kompany in the first half, after he was involved in a nasty looking collision with goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, regained the lead with just seven minutes remaining.
And it was Toure who grabbed the winner, tapping home from close range to send his side level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table after Jurgen Klopp's side's 0-0 draw at Southampton.
Defeat leaves Crystal Palace, who are on a run of five straight league defeats, down in 16th position .
Guardiola made six changes to his starting line-up from the 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough and he handed Toure, who made his only previous first-team appearance under the Spaniard in their 1-0 Champions League defeat of Steaua Bucharest on August 24, a surprise call-up following the midfielder's recent apology for "misunderstandings of the past".
The Ivory Coast international had been left on the sidelines at City after his agent Dimitri Seluk criticised Guardiola for leaving his man out of the Champions League squad.
Kompany also returned to City's starting line-up but his bad luck continued as he lasted only 38 minutes after being clattered by Bravo as the goalkeeper came out to claim the ball.
Alan Pardew, who had injury problems of his own, also made two changes with goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey recalled in place of the injured Steve Mandanda, while James Tomkins replaced Damien Delaney.
But it was City who took the lead in the 39th minute when Martin Kelly lost possession deep in his own half.
Toure picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and played a one-two with Nolito before shooting powerfully beyond Hennessey with the help of a deflection off Tomkins.
Pardew responded at half-time by replacing Andros Townsend with Wickham and it lifted the home side as Christian Benteke's header forced Bravo into a smart save.
As the hosts pressed for an equaliser, City almost doubled their lead in the 65th minute through Sergio Aguero but first Hennessey took the sting out of the shot before Joel Ward hooked the ball off the line.
A minute later Wilfried Zaha found Wickham in space and his touch took him past substitute Zabaleta into the area and he powerfully shot under Bravo.
Palace were heading towards a point but were denied in the 83rd minute when they left Toure unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box.
The Ivorian latched onto Kevin De Bruyne's low corner and he calmly finished to complete a remarkable return from his City exile.
Player ratings
Crystal Palace: Hennessey (6), Ward (7), Dann (6), Tomkins (6), Kelly (5), Cabaye (7), McArthur (6), Puncheon (6), Townsend (5), Benteke (6), Zaha (6).
Subs used: Sako (n/a), Lee (6), Wickham (7).
Man City: Bravo (7), Sagna (8), Kompany (6), Otamendi (7), Kolarov (6), Fernandinho (7), Yaya Toure (9), Nolito (6), De Bruyne (7), Aguero (6), Sterling (7).
Subs: Fernando (n/a), Zabaleta (6), Navas, Silva (6).
Man of the Match: Yaya Toure.
