Yaya Toure made a sensational return to Manchester City starting lineup scoring a brace to earn the citizens a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.
Toure’s moment arrived in the 39th minute as Palace failed to recover from James McArthur giving the ball away on the edge of his box.
Receiving the ball just inside the area, Toure exchanged passes with Nolitio before firing an unstoppable shot past Wayne Hennessy to give City the lead.
Palace later leveled courtesy of a ruthless break away. Zaha, around 30 yards out, fed the ball into substitute Wickham just on the edge of the box.
The winner was a tap-in in the 83rd minute.
It was Toure’s first Premier League game for Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
The Ivory Coast international played 32 times for City last season, but had so far been unable to force his way into Guardiola’s plans.
Toure only got the manager’s nod after his apology at the start of November, for the snipes from his outspoken agent Dmitri Seluk towards Guardiola.
In other matches, Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe scored two goals as Sunderland thrashed Hull City 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Elsewhere Watford beat defending champions Leicester City 2-1 while Stoke City lost 1-0 to Bournemouth.
Everton and Swansea City played a 1-1 draw while Southampton and Liverpool played a goalless draw at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
The much anticipated clash between title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal ended in a draw at Old Trafford in the day’s lunchtime kickoff.
Olivier Giroud’s late strike snatched a point for Arsenal after Juan Mata put united ahead in the 68th minute, slotting in from Ander Herrera’s pass.
The Red Devils looked certain for all three points as Arsenal failed to register a shot on target before Giroud stepped off the bench to head past David De Gea on 89 minutes.
