Ella Toone says Manchester United were left 'speechless' after a 4-2 win over Manchester City in the derby on Sunday.
Toone, on her return from injury, scored twice in the first half, with Leah Galton's goal sandwiched in between, and took advantage of City mistakes to take a commanding lead.
Vivianne Miedema and Rebecca Knack scored two goals back before half-time, but Toone secured the points just nine seconds into the second half after taking advantage of another defensive deficit to complete her hat-trick.
It's a win that lifted United above their rivals in the Women's Super League into third place, level with Arsenal in second place, and seven points behind leaders Chelsea.
United had never won at City in the WSL and recorded just one win against them at home in May 2023, and Toone was delighted with the result.
“We are also speechless. It's a derby, so it means so much,” Toone told Sky Sports. “I thought we made a huge change and delivered great performances. I think we deserved it.
“I let the girls know, 'Girls, I've never scored in a Manchester derby, never scored against City,' and for a girl who supports Manchester United, I know what these derbies mean.
“I want to be at every game, make something happen on the field and set up a shift for the girls.
“But today I wanted a goal and managed to score three, so it was a special day for me and I couldn't have done it without the players and staff.
“I've been through a lot, and when I got injured it was a blessing in disguise. Looking back now, I needed it, not just physically but mentally too. I used my time wisely to get fitter and stronger again , but more importantly: take care of myself.”
City had won their first game in each of the last five calendar years before this fixture, but instead fell to a third defeat in four games, having also lost to Everton before the winter break.
It was an out-of-character defensive performance for City, but they also struggled in attack. Despite having 22 shots, 10 more than their counterparts, they created just 1.84 expected goals (xG), compared to United's 2.78.
However, Taylor is confident they can bounce back after dropping two places in the table on Sunday after Arsenal also put them ahead following their impressive win.
“We are all upset,” Taylor told City media outlets.
“But we stick together and we keep working because we know we can do better than that.
“It's good that matches are coming up quickly. When you have such a result, it is of course best to be able to come back as soon as possible.”
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