Ryan Giggs says Manchester United cannot afford any more slip ups in the Barclays Premier League, after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Manchester City yesterday handed the initiative back to Arsenal, the current league leaders.

"We cannot afford to drop any more points," Giggs said. "We've got to make sure we don't produce any more performances like that. "

Giggs underlined the Old Trafford side's bitter disappointment at losing the 150th Manchester derby, but admitted City deserved their first league double against the Red Devils since 1970. "It was probably the result that City deserved really," He said. "They played better than us. City scored at important times in the game and we didn't recover. City could just sit back then and try to catch us on the counter-attack.

"Defensively we didn't play well. Attacking-wise, we just didn't turn up. But there was enough motivation for us, it was a massive game for the club for lots of reasons, a derby and an important three points.

"We just didn't perform as a team, and individuals, like we have been doing this season and like we are capable of. It was disappointing on a lot of fronts. We are all very upset with the way we played. We never got going and it was not the way we wanted to mark the day."

United finally got on the scoresheet in injury time through substitute Michael Carrick, but they were never going to deny the triumph after Darius Vassell and a debut goal for new signing Benjani had handed City the initiative.

Carrick admitted the 2-1 defeat could prove more costly to United's title aspirations than the effect of losing to rivals City. "We don't want to lose any games and especially a derby match against City because we desperately wanted to collect those three points," he said. "At times we should have gone back to basics and overall we never really got going. We did not create enough chances to go on and win the match.

"They set out their game plan, were good on the counter-attack and their goalkeeper [Joe Hart] made some good saves. Once they scored their second goal it made it difficult for us."