Premier League: Zabaleta convinced Toure will be back to his best

Pablo Zabaleta believes Yaya Toure will soon rediscover last season's sparkling form.

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta is “100 per cent” convinced Yaya Toure will soon get back to his best.

Toure, the driving force for City's Premier League title triumph last season, has been below par - and criticised - in the opening two months of the new campaign.

However, the midfielder scored a superb goal from the edge of the area on Saturday to break Aston Villa’s stubborn resistance and pave the way for a 2-0 victory.

Toure was City's top Premier League goalscorer last season with 20, and Zabaleta had no doubt he would again come good.

The Argentinian said: "I think it was so important for him to score. I think he did a great goal.

"We all know how important Yaya is for the team. If he is on his best form, Yaya can do whatever he wants because he's just different class. We are at our best when Yaya is at his best.

"Last season he was fantastic. He scored 20 goals and that for a midfielder is just incredible. I would like to see Yaya scoring more goals, 20 if possible.

"We need him back to his best form in terms of passing, even free-kicks. We are 100 per cent sure we will see the best of Yaya soon.

"He should be full of confidence because we know how important he is for the team, as do the fans. And hopefully he can continue scoring goals like this."

Toure's slow start to the season has come after an unsettled summer.

He first voiced criticisms of the club and then became embroiled in a bizarre row about how his birthday was celebrated.

His brother died in June and there followed more complaints about how he was not granted sufficient compassionate leave.

In the light of this, his disappointing performances have led to speculation about his future.

But City manager Manuel Pellegrini has attributed the player's poor form to his personal problems, insisting there are no issues between him and the club, and saying he has no concerns.

And Zabaleta also thinks the World Cup in Brazil, at which Toure was involved with Ivory Coast, is likely to have taken a toll.

He said: "I think sometimes it's been a little bit tough for some of the players who have been at the World Cup because we didn't have too much rest in the summer, we didn't have a proper pre-season.

"Sometimes it takes time to come back to the best levels in terms of fitness.

"That's why I expect these players to get better game by game and hopefully we can be consistent and do our best, not just in the league, but in every competition we play."