LONDON - Manchester City's 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich was a turning point for the team who have won all eight games they have played since, midfielder Yaya Toure said on Monday.

That loss, their only setback in 17 matches this season, has been over-shadowed by Carlos Tevez's refusal to follow manager Roberto Mancini's instructions to warm up before coming on as a second-half substitute.

Toure, speaking to Reuters in a museum on the banks of the River Thames, said the defeat and events off the field that night provided the catalyst for the side's winning run.

"I think that game was very very, important for us, so important. Before that we had won against Tottenham, and beaten some other teams and it was a good time to play against Munich.

"They are a very strong team, a very experienced team in the Champions League and in Europe, and we learnt a lot from that defeat - it actually gave us a lot of confidence."

The 28-year-old Ivory Coast international agreed that Tevez's refusal to play had affected his team mates.

"Yes, it was the turning point. We still don't know properly what was behind that, but I think the most important thing from that night was that the team grew up," he said.

"Everyone knows that Carlos Tevez is a fantastic player, he's a very good captain, but we have done very well since then. Now the decision is in the hands of the club and the club will decide what happens next."