Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has come to the aid of his teammate Samir Nasri following a hostile reception from Arsenal fans at the Emirates last night.

The Frenchman endured heckling from the home side on his first return to the stadium since leaving the Gunners in the summer.

"He's a strong boy," Sky Sports News quotes Toure as saying. "For me, it was my third time [back at the Emirates] and maybe that's why I've got a good relationship with the Arsenal fans.

"Every time I come here they've been fantastic with me. Samir's very clever and he knows what football is. They love him really, that's why they put him under pressure."

Meanwhile, reports emerged claiming that the midfielder found himself in a war of words with former Arsenal teammate Emmanuel Frimpong in the Emirates tunnel.