Gareth Taylor says the upcoming Manchester derby is the ‘perfect game’ for his side to try and bounce back from a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Brighton.

City were beaten on home soil for the first time in 27 matches when Lee Geum-Min poked home a late winner in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

It means we drop to fifth in the table, but a victory over our rivals in Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford could move us up to second.

And while the boss was frustrated with the result and performance against the Seagulls, he’s called for his players to put that disappointment behind us as soon as possible.

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“Yeah it’s so difficult, everyone thinks and expects us to win and of course we do, but it’s difficult,” Taylor reflected.

“If you don’t take your chances and aren’t tight at the back it can happen to anyone.

“It’s not a nice feeling, you want to win and our proud home record has gone, but we need to regroup and go again.

“Any game is good to bounce back from. It’s the perfect game for us [against Manchester United.”

Despite creating several decent chances and twice striking the post, it was an off-colour display from the hosts.

It’s something that the boss admits can happen to any team.

He said: “Sometimes it’s just not your day no matter how much you knock on the door it doesn’t go for you.

“I’m just disappointed in how we played and dealt within those moments.

“We were just off the pace, half a yard too heavy or short, all those bits.

“It wasn’t our normal clicking game modes today.”