After spending over a month on the sidelines, Josko Gvardiol marked his return to the Manchester City starting lineup with a composed performance against Crystal Palace—and even he admitted he was surprised to be named in the XI.

The Croatian defender picked up an injury during the 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea on January 4, but was thrust straight back into action for the visit of the Eagles. Goals from Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush, and Savinho secured a stylish 3-0 win at the Etihad, cutting the gap at the top of the table to just two points behind Arsenal.

"To be fair, I was surprised as well," Gvardiol said after the match. "I didn't expect my name in the starting XI. I found out two or three hours before kick-off. You have to be ready."

The 22-year-old looked sharp during his 58-minute outing and came close to scoring a dream comeback goal, only to see his powerful header brilliantly saved by Dean Henderson. "It was close. It would be too unreal to score in my first game back," he joked. "Maybe in the next one."

Gvardiol's calm, no-frills approach was exactly what City needed as they chase down the league leaders. "I'm getting older and more experienced than a couple of years ago. I took it as a man and tried to play as simple as I can," he explained. "It hasn't been easy. After I got injured, I just accepted it as a new challenge. I'm glad to be back."

The match itself started slowly, but a moment of magic from Phil Foden changed everything. The England star produced a sublime backheel to set up Semenyo's opener, and from there, City clicked into their free-flowing best. Gvardiol was full of praise for his teammate: "Of course we know his quality and how good he is in small spaces. He's really good, and I enjoy playing with him. I didn't expect it, but we know he's capable of these things."

With just three games remaining in the season, every point matters. Gvardiol's return adds steel to a City defense that knows exactly what it takes to win titles. "I'm not at 100% yet," he admitted. "It's normal—I need minutes and games." But for a player who took his injury comeback in stride, those minutes are already proving valuable. And for City fans, seeing him back on the pitch is a welcome sight as the title race heats up.