LONDON –

Yaya Toure returned to Manchester City's ranks on Saturday after a public apology to manager Pep Guardiola and scored twice in a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace that took the team to the top of the Premier League alongside Liverpool.

While Liverpool's progress was checked by a goalless draw at Southampton, City clambered back level with the Anfield club on 27 points from 12 matches thanks to the double from old favorite Toure, whose stand-off with Guardiola was quickly forgiven and forgotten.

On an afternoon when Jose Mourinho complained Manchester United was "the unluckiest team in the Premier League" after Arsenal snatched a 1-1 draw with an 89th-minute equalizer at Old Trafford, there was nothing fortunate about City's victory.

While resting key players before the Champions League clash with Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday, Guardiola brought Toure in for his first league appearance of the season after the midfielder's apology following comments the player's agent made about the club and manager.

The Ivorian repaid Guardiola's faith with a 39th-minute run and shot and, after Connor Wickham had equalized in the second half, netted an 83rd-minute winner.

After a three-month stand-off at the club, Toure sounded emotional as he spoke of being applauded back into the dressing room by teammates.

"They have always been brilliant with me, always supportive. I always want to be there to help them. I am professional, I always want to improve my game," he told the BBC.

"I was prepared mentally and I knew that one day my manager would need me."

Liverpool's recent magisterial progress ended in driving rain at Southampton where, although it extended its unbeaten sequence to 10 games, the league's top scorers squandered a series of chances.

It left Liverpool still leading the way on the strength of having scored more goals than City but Chelsea, two points behind, has the chance to jump ahead of both if it wins at Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Arsenal was grateful to extend its unbeaten streak to 17 games in all competitions after a last-gasp header from substitute Olivier Giroud earned it a barely deserved point at Manchester United.

Juan Mata had put United ahead in the second half of a game it dominated, but Giroud's late rescue act left Mourinho cursing his luck, even if he had stretched his unbeaten league record against old foe Arsene Wenger to 12 matches.

"We are the unluckiest team in the Premier League," Mourinho said of his sixth-placed team. "I'm not going to say they (Arsenal) didn't want to win but they couldn't be the way they normally play football.

"They were the lucky ones and we were the unlucky ones but that's football."

The draw left Arsenal fourth on 25 points, the same as Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur is one point adrift in fifth after Harry Kane netted twice in three dramatic late minutes to earn a pulsating 3-2 win over West Ham United at White Hart Lane.

The England striker hammered home the winner from the penalty spot in stoppage time as Spurs came roaring back from 2-1 down to protect their record as the only unbeaten team in the league.

At the other end of the table, Victor Anichebe struck twice and Jermain Defoe netted as Sunderland clambered off the bottom with a 3-0 win over fellow struggler Hull City.

Swansea City is now bottom after Seamus Coleman equalized for hosts Everton in the 89th minute to secure a 1-1 draw.

Leicester City's difficult reign as champions continued as it went behind to an Etienne Capoue goal at Watford after 33 seconds and ended up losing 2-1.