Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that midfielder Yaya Toure shouldn't be singled out for criticism when his team doesn't perform to their best.

Toure scored 20 goals last season as City won the Premier League title but he has managed to net just once - against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup - in nine games this term.

However, despite failing to hit the heights of the last campaign, Pellegrini has denied that the 31-year-old should be held responsible for his team's inconsistency in the Premier League and Champions League.

The 61-year-old told reporters: "When we play well, it is because the most important player in the team plays well.

"When we play bad it is because the whole team plays bad. It is not fair to single out one player because this team doesn't rely on one player."

Pellegrini takes his team to the West Midlands to play Aston Villa tomorrow evening.