West Brom 2 Manchester City 3: Rare away victory pleases midfielder Yaya Toure after netting brace

City have already lost four times this season on their travels but two goals from Toure and one from Sergio Aguero ensured they left the Hawthorns with the win

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure celebrates after scoring in the 3-2 win over West Brom (GETTY IMAGES)

Midfielder Yaya Toure believes Manchester City can now build on the confidence gained from a precious away victory.

Boss Manuel Pellegrini's side kept themselves in touch with Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 3-2 victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns.

The scoreline flattered the Baggies as City cruised into a 2-0 lead after 24 minutes courtesy of Sergio Aguero's 17th goal of the season and the first of a brace from Toure.

The Ivory Coast midfielder added his second and City's third from the penalty spot after 72 minutes before the visitors took their foot off the gas in the closing stages.

Albion fortuitously pulled one back in the 86th minute courtesy of a freak own goal from goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

Then in the fourth minute of injury time Victor Anichebe scored his first for the club since a £6million summer move from Everton, but it was all too little too late.

For City, after back-to-back away defeats and taking just four points from games on the road prior to beating Albion, the win was welcome and much needed.

"It was very important to take the three points," said Toure, speaking to the club's official website.

"We know how difficult it is playing away and I think this will give us a lot of confidence for the next game.

"We have a tough game against Southampton on Saturday and we want to make a go of it there as well."

Pellegrini was more than satisfied with the night's work from his players, despite the late lapses, to keep City six points behind the Gunners, who they face at the Etihad Stadium on December 14.

"We played very well. In other (away) games we played as well as we did in this game, but for some reason we didn't score the two early goals like we did here," said Pellegrini.

"We had a lot of chances to score, and for 45 minutes we were very good. The scoreline doesn't tell the story. It was not such a close match as the score says.

"Maybe we were thinking of the next game before we finished this one, and in football the game is not over until the final whistle."

Despite a win at Manchester United this season, and draws with both Arsenal and Chelsea, against City Albion were for the most part second best.

Albion head coach Steve Clarke said of City: "At times in the first half they were very good.

"I don't think they were consistently good, but they did what they had to do to get two goals in front.

"The fact they scored one from the right and one from the left tells you they've good players all over the pitch.

"If you get that quality of ball into the box, and you have strikers and attacking midfield players with the quality they've got then they will score goals."

PA