Sergio Aguero has grabbed all the headlines at Manchester City this season but Saturday proved they also need Yaya Toure firing on all cylinders to have any chance of retaining the title. Toure put recent troubles behind him to score his first Premier League goal at The Etihad this season and complete a hard-fought Manchester City comeback against opponents who literally spilled blood for their cause. Swansea had taken a shock lead through Wilfried Bony only for the champions to level quickly with a neat finish from Stevan Jovetic. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manuel Pellegrini: Swansea victory vital psychological boost . Yaya Toure proved Manchester City's matchwinner as they defeated Swansea 2-1 in the Premier League . Toure (centre) scored City's winner midway through the second half after bursting into the penalty box before firing home a late shot . Toure (second right) is congratulated by his City team-mates as his goal completes their turnaround after initially losing 1-0 at home . Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart 6; Zabaleta 6.5, Kompany 5.5, Demichelis 6.5, Clichy 6.5; Fernandinho 7 (Fernando 88), Toure 7.5; Navas 7, Nasri 7 (Milner 79 - 6), Jovetic 7 (Lampard 70 - 6); Aguero 8 . Subs not used: Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Pozo . Goals: Jovetic 19, Toure 62 . Swansea City (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7.5, Rangel 6.5, Bartley 5.5, Williams 6, Taylor 6; Ki 7, Carroll 6 (Shelvey 67 - 6); Sigurdsson 6.5 (Gomis 79 - 6), Dyer 7 (Barrow 77 - 6), Montero 6.5, Bony 7.5 . Subs not used: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Amat, Britton . Goals: Bony 9 . Referee: Neil Swarbrick 5 . Attendance: 45,448 . Star player: Sergio Aguero . And with a feisty encounter in the balance, Toure powered forward from midfield as he did so many times last season to convert Fernandinho's back-heel. It was no doubt a relief to manager Manuel Pellegrini, who knows his side had become over-reliant on Aguero with the Argentine scoring half of Manchester City's 24 league goals on his own. He will hope Toure's winner, which came at the end of a long week in which he helped Ivory Coast qualify for the African Cup of Nations, will mark a new beginning for the player after a troubling few months in which his brother died of cancer, he fell out with a club over an alleged birthday snub and has suffered racial abuse on social media. 'I think it was an important moment for Yaya. He played two games in the international break, the second one on Wednesday, so maybe he was tired. But he had the personality and character to continue playing until the end,' said Pellegrini. 'You can't always analyse Yaya on whether he has scored a goal. It will be impossible for it to be like last season because he is a midfielder, not a striker. But it is important for him to play and I think he played very well. 'If you remember, all the players were involved in scoring goals last season. So it was important that today Sergio couldn't do it but Stevan and Yaya could.' With Chelsea also winning, it was vital Manchester City secured maximum points to stay only eight points behind Jose Mourinho's men. But it certainly wasn't easy against Swansea who have added steel under manager Garry Monk to their pleasing style. Swansea hadn't beaten their opponents on home soil since 1951 when Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. Swansea striker Wilfried Bony gave them an early first half lead against  City on Saturday afternoon . Bony (centre) met Nathan Dyer's through ball to put them ahead after nine minutes at the Etihad . Bony celebrates his goal with his Swansea team-mates during Saturday's Premier League clash . MINS PLD    KM    MILES . Manchester City                          109.2    67.9 . Jesus Navas                       90         11.5      7.2 . Yaya Toure                         90         11.1      6.9 . Pablo Zabaleta                   90         10.7      6.7 . Swansea                                        110.2  68.5 . Sung-Yueng Ki                 90           11.7      7.3 . Angel Rangel                    90           11.3      7.1 . Jefferson Montero             90          10.4      6.5 . But they enjoyed the perfect start after nine minutes when nobody challenged Nathan Dyer outside and he had time to chip a pass to Bony, who had run in behind Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta without them noticing. Bony controlled Dyer's pass with his chest and had no problems slipping the ball past a stranded Joe Hart. For once, Aguero wasn't involved in the equaliser after 19 minutes. Toure began the move with a neat pass to Jesus Navas on the left-hand side. And when the Spaniard whipped a cross into the six-yard box it was Jovetic who sniffed out the chance and got their first to turn in from close range. It was the striker's first goal for his club since a brace against Liverpool in August. The two quickfire goals created a feisty atmosphere with Kyle Bartley deservedly going into the book for challenging Aguero from behind. And Kompany took a risk when he led with his arm and boots and knees raised high, and caught Taylor in an aerial duel, leaving the Swansea player dazed and bleeding profusely down the left side of his face. Taylor had to be patched up on the touchline using spray and returned looking like a boxer who'd gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, though Swansea manager Garry Monk absolved Kompany of blame and quipped: 'It was a nasty bump but it'll make Neil better-looking, the scar will do him good.' Kompany seemed extra pumped-up and did find his way into the book for blocking off Bony after 31 minutes. And Aguero was then provocatively shoved in the back off-the-ball by Bartley and remonstrated with Angel Rangel about it. Stevan Jovetic equalised for defending Premier League City 10 minutes later with a right-footed strike . Jovetic (left) lashed home past Swansea goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski from close range after meeting Jesus Navas' cross . Jovetic (right) is congratulated on his first half goal by fellow strike partner Sergio Aguero . Swansea defender Neil Taylor (right) had to leave the match for treatment after being caught in the eye . Aguero (right) reacted furiously at one point after being fouled by Kyle Bartley . Aguero (centre left) had to be restrained by his City team-mates after mistakenly believing Angel Rangel (second right) was the offender . CLICK HERE to view our brilliant Match Zone Manchester City's move for their equaliser scored by Stevan Jovetic . At that point, Mr Swarbrick decided he'd had enough and gave both captains a stern talking-to in order for things to calm things down, and it worked. Football broke out and Gael Clichy had a thumping 25-yard shot tipped onto the post by Lukasz Fabianski.. Then, just past the hour, it was Toure time. Samir Nasri's pass was backheeled into the midfielder's path by Fernandinho and his power took him past two despairing Swansea challenges before he tucked a tidy finish under Fabianski. Still, Swansea could have levelled late on. Substitute Bafetimbi Gomis shot wide when put through by Bony's pass and then Jonjo Shelvey's injury-time free-kick deflected off the top of the wall and went inches wide with Hart beaten. 'We should have taken our chances,' complained Monk, but he can be delighted with how his team have started the season. For Pellegrini, there is no respite. It's Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night and this time they will need Aguero - Toure is suspended. Swansea substitute Bafetimbi Gomis (right) missed a guilt-edge chance for the visitors when he shot wide after being put through on goal . Gomis rues his big chance which could have seen Garry Monk's side come away from the Etihad with a share of the spoils .
Wilfried Bony gave Swansea an early lead on nine minutes after capitalising on a Nathan Dyer through ball .
Stevan Jovetic equalised for the Premier League champions 10 minutes later with a right-footed strike .
Yaya Toure scored the decisive goal just after the hour mark for Manuel Pellegrini's side .
Sergio Aguero has grabbed all the headlines at Manchester City this season but Saturday proved they also need Yaya Toure firing on all cylinders to have any chance of retaining the title. Toure put recent troubles behind him to score his first Premier League goal at The Etihad this season and complete a hard-fought Manchester City comeback against opponents who literally spilled blood for their cause. Swansea had taken a shock lead through Wilfried Bony only for the champions to level quickly with a neat finish from Stevan Jovetic. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Manuel Pellegrini: Swansea victory vital psychological boost . Yaya Toure proved Manchester City's matchwinner as they defeated Swansea 2-1 in the Premier League . Toure (centre) scored City's winner midway through the second half after bursting into the penalty box before firing home a late shot . Toure (second right) is congratulated by his City team-mates as his goal completes their turnaround after initially losing 1-0 at home . Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart 6; Zabaleta 6.5, Kompany 5.5, Demichelis 6.5, Clichy 6.5; Fernandinho 7 (Fernando 88), Toure 7.5; Navas 7, Nasri 7 (Milner 79 - 6), Jovetic 7 (Lampard 70 - 6); Aguero 8 . Subs not used: Caballero, Sagna, Mangala, Pozo . Goals: Jovetic 19, Toure 62 . Swansea City (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7.5, Rangel 6.5, Bartley 5.5, Williams 6, Taylor 6; Ki 7, Carroll 6 (Shelvey 67 - 6); Sigurdsson 6.5 (Gomis 79 - 6), Dyer 7 (Barrow 77 - 6), Montero 6.5, Bony 7.5 . Subs not used: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Amat, Britton . Goals: Bony 9 . Referee: Neil Swarbrick 5 . Attendance: 45,448 . Star player: Sergio Aguero . And with a feisty encounter in the balance, Toure powered forward from midfield as he did so many times last season to convert Fernandinho's back-heel. It was no doubt a relief to manager Manuel Pellegrini, who knows his side had become over-reliant on Aguero with the Argentine scoring half of Manchester City's 24 league goals on his own. He will hope Toure's winner, which came at the end of a long week in which he helped Ivory Coast qualify for the African Cup of Nations, will mark a new beginning for the player after a troubling few months in which his brother died of cancer, he fell out with a club over an alleged birthday snub and has suffered racial abuse on social media. 'I think it was an important moment for Yaya. He played two games in the international break, the second one on Wednesday, so maybe he was tired. But he had the personality and character to continue playing until the end,' said Pellegrini. 'You can't always analyse Yaya on whether he has scored a goal. It will be impossible for it to be like last season because he is a midfielder, not a striker. But it is important for him to play and I think he played very well. 'If you remember, all the players were involved in scoring goals last season. So it was important that today Sergio couldn't do it but Stevan and Yaya could.' With Chelsea also winning, it was vital Manchester City secured maximum points to stay only eight points behind Jose Mourinho's men. But it certainly wasn't easy against Swansea who have added steel under manager Garry Monk to their pleasing style. Swansea hadn't beaten their opponents on home soil since 1951 when Sir Winston Churchill was Prime Minister. Swansea striker Wilfried Bony gave them an early first half lead against  City on Saturday afternoon . Bony (centre) met Nathan Dyer's through ball to put them ahead after nine minutes at the Etihad . Bony celebrates his goal with his Swansea team-mates during Saturday's Premier League clash . MINS PLD    KM    MILES . Manchester City                          109.2 67.9 . Jesus Navas                       90 11.5      7.2 . Yaya Toure 90         11.1      6.9 . Pablo Zabaleta 90         10.7      6.7 . Swansea 110.2 68.5 . Sung-Yueng Ki                 90 11.7      7.3 . Angel Rangel 90           11.3      7.1 . Jefferson Montero 90          10.4      6.5 . But they enjoyed the perfect start after nine minutes when nobody challenged Nathan Dyer outside and he had time to chip a pass to Bony, who had run in behind Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta without them noticing. Bony controlled Dyer's pass with his chest and had no problems slipping the ball past a stranded Joe Hart. For once, Aguero wasn't involved in the equaliser after 19 minutes. Toure began the move with a neat pass to Jesus Navas on the left-hand side. And when the Spaniard whipped a cross into the six-yard box it was Jovetic who sniffed out the chance and got their first to turn in from close range. It was the striker's first goal for his club since a brace against Liverpool in August. The two quickfire goals created a feisty atmosphere with Kyle Bartley deservedly going into the book for challenging Aguero from behind. And Kompany took a risk when he led with his arm and boots and knees raised high, and caught Taylor in an aerial duel, leaving the Swansea player dazed and bleeding profusely down the left side of his face. Taylor had to be patched up on the touchline using spray and returned looking like a boxer who'd gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, though Swansea manager Garry Monk absolved Kompany of blame and quipped: 'It was a nasty bump but it'll make Neil better-looking, the scar will do him good.' Kompany seemed extra pumped-up and did find his way into the book for blocking off Bony after 31 minutes. And Aguero was then provocatively shoved in the back off-the-ball by Bartley and remonstrated with Angel Rangel about it. Stevan Jovetic equalised for defending Premier League City 10 minutes later with a right-footed strike . Jovetic (left) lashed home past Swansea goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski from close range after meeting Jesus Navas' cross . Jovetic (right) is congratulated on his first half goal by fellow strike partner Sergio Aguero . Swansea defender Neil Taylor (right) had to leave the match for treatment after being caught in the eye . Aguero (right) reacted furiously at one point after being fouled by Kyle Bartley . Aguero (centre left) had to be restrained by his City team-mates after mistakenly believing Angel Rangel (second right) was the offender . CLICK HERE to view our brilliant Match Zone Manchester City's move for their equaliser scored by Stevan Jovetic . At that point, Mr Swarbrick decided he'd had enough and gave both captains a stern talking-to in order for things to calm things down, and it worked. Football broke out and Gael Clichy had a thumping 25-yard shot tipped onto the post by Lukasz Fabianski.. Then, just past the hour, it was Toure time. Samir Nasri's pass was backheeled into the midfielder's path by Fernandinho and his power took him past two despairing Swansea challenges before he tucked a tidy finish under Fabianski. Still, Swansea could have levelled late on. Substitute Bafetimbi Gomis shot wide when put through by Bony's pass and then Jonjo Shelvey's injury-time free-kick deflected off the top of the wall and went inches wide with Hart beaten. 'We should have taken our chances,' complained Monk, but he can be delighted with how his team have started the season. For Pellegrini, there is no respite. It's Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night and this time they will need Aguero - Toure is suspended. Swansea substitute Bafetimbi Gomis (right) missed a guilt-edge chance for the visitors when he shot wide after being put through on goal . Gomis rues his big chance which could have seen Garry Monk's side come away from the Etihad with a share of the spoils .
through Wilfried Bony only for the champions to gave them an early first half lead against  City Dyer's through ball to put them ahead after nine 11.5      7.2 . Yaya Toure Jovetic equalised for defending Premier League City 10 minutes later with a right-footed strike their equaliser scored by Stevan Jovetic . At