Gareth Taylor has expressed his delight after Ruby Mace and Alanna Kennedy made their first appearances of the season in our Continental Cup win over Sunderland.

The defensive duo came off the bench to help City maintain our 100% start in Group B with a 3-0 victory over the Black Cats.

Kennedy, who has recovered from a shoulder injury sustained on international duty, entered the fray for the final 15 minutes after replacing captain Steph Houghton.

Mace, meanwhile, was deployed as a holding midfielder – her first appearance since she picked up a thigh injury on England Under-19 duty in the summer.

And the boss believes her versatility could prove a vital asset moving forward.

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“It’s good to have them back first and foremost,” Taylor remarked about Kennedy and Mace’s returns to action.

“Ruby’s been out for a long time, Alanna for a shorter period.

“They’re two good players. We’re starting to look at Ruby in a more advanced position in midfield, but Alanna brings a good level of calmness and composure at the back.

“I always say to players, keep it in mind to have the ability to play in a few positions, and I think that’s important.

“We’ve got players like Esme and Laia who can play in a number of positions for us which makes a big difference.

“They complement the players we have in there already. Ruby’s got a good example in there with Yui Hasegawa, who I think in the 15 minutes she was on for the second half was really impressive.”

Hear the boss’ thoughts in full via the video above...

BARCLAYS WSL ETIHAD DERBY: GET YOUR TICKETS

CITY V UNITED: ETIHAD DERBY

City welcome Manchester United to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 11 December.

Kick-off is scheduled for 12:30 (UK), with tickets selling fast for our third-ever women’s match at the Etihad.

We hosted Everton there back in May 2014, before welcoming our local rivals in September 2019, when Caroline Weir’s wonder strike saw us run out 1-0 winners in front of what was then a WSL record crowd, and what remains a club record of 31, 213 fans.

With almost 40,000 tickets already sold, it promises to be another historic occasion.

You can secure your tickets online by visiting: www.mancity.com/tickets/womens or by calling: +44 (0)161 444 1894.