The Blues triumphed 2-1 against the Serie A leaders, thanks to a blistering start which heralded goals from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. While Pep Guardiola’s men did not have it all their own way, they showed grit to hang on against their fellow free-scorers to maintain their 100% record in Group F.
Once again, the footballing world were impressed, including the opposition.
Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri believes City have what it takes to lift the trophy.
“It is a great team,” he declared. “It has everything.
“They are very quick, they are tactically very savvy and, if they stay in the kind of good mental and physical shape they are now, they really could go all the way.”
Meanwhile, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly told press his side were frightened by City’s tempo.
Quoted in Football Italia, he admitted: “We stepped on to the field feeling too timorous and Manchester City moved the ball very quickly - the kind you don’t see every day.
“The two goals we conceded were disappointing, but towards half-time we had already started playing better and felt freer. In the second half, we did well.
“It was a defeat, but we have to take the positives from this match too. We want to qualify for the next round. The return match with City will be different.”
The press were equally complimentary.
The Independent’s Tim Rich reflected: “The only regret during a first half of fantasy football was that Malcolm Allison did not live to see this.
“During United’s long years of dominance, they would recall Manchester City’s one match in the European Cup. It was 1968 and Allison declared that his club would unleash themselves on the ‘cowards of Europe’. They lasted one tie, knocked out by Fenerbahce in the first round.
“Almost half a century on and Manchester City have a side that, if they can expunge the defensive looseness that threatened to undermine them after the interval, will terrify Europe.
“Lawrie McMenemy once said of Allison that he attempted the kind of tactics that First Division managers would only discuss when their annual dinners had reached the whisky and cigars stage.
“He would have appreciated the way Manchester City slashed their way through the Napoli defence to the extent that by half hour mark they could easily have led by four.
“To Napoli, two would have seemed plenty as Maurizio Sarri’s defence was turned and twisted and eventually broken. It was 12 months since they last conceded twice before the interval.
“Sarri, a habitual smoker, would many times have felt the need to reach for the comfort of the cigarette pack.”
Four Four Two’s report echoed: “When Maurizio Sarri suggested before Tuesday’s Champions League Group F encounter that facing Manchester City filled him with more dread than the prospect of playing Real Madrid, there was a suspicion the famously chain-smoking Napoli coach was blowing a fair bit of the stuff.
“After 13 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s Premier League leaders 2-0 up and running riot, it felt like a succinct prophecy a little too grim and accurate for the impressive number of travelling supporters from the south of Italy.
“City opened with a maniacal intensity – if Napoli were as good as their boss said they were, they were not about to hang around and find out.
“There was a subtle tactical shift from Saturday’s 7-2 evisceration of Stoke City. Along with slicing through their opponents with cutting short passes, a key part of the approach from Guardiola’s men was to use Fernandinho as a means of quickly switching play to Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane on the flanks.
“For all the talent in this City XI, De Bruyne appears increasingly irreplaceable the better they get. Being spoken of in the same breath as Lionel Messi before the game – Guardiola was keen to dial down the hyperbole – did little to throw the Belgium international. He was running the show again, he hit the bar and Jesus had one cleared off the line.
“For the first half hour, Napoli were the punch-drunk boxer lolling on the ropes.”
Wrote the Guardian’s Barney Ronay: “The game had a crackle of expectation around it from the start.
“At times watching City rack up 39 goals before the end of October has felt a bit like stumbling across some wild inter-village tomato throwing contest, an autumn glut, all juice and drooling excess.
“They faced another bunch of dashers. Top of Serie A with eight wins out of eight, Napoli have set off like a train, revelling in their own slick “Sarri‑ball”, a direct, hard-running style that promised plenty of space in behind.
“With nine points from their three games they will expect to cruise the rest of this group. The trip to Napoli in two weeks’ time will provide a little more information about this evolving team.”
The Manchester Evening News’ James Robson raved: “In the space of three games Pep Guardiola has taken Manchester City to new heights.
“If they continue in this kind of form, we could be saying the same about English football.
“European even.
“Against Chelsea, Stoke and now Napoli, City have overwhelmed the opposition with the sheer fluidity and menace of their football.
“City’s performances have been down to their sweeping attacking, intricate passing and insatiable appetite for the ball.
“Their performances have been about Guardiola’s attention to detail on the training pitch - his ability to impose his idea of football onto a group of players who were so often found wanting in his first season in charge.
“Yes, he has been given the funds to attract some of the world’s finest players to the Etihad - but it is his own vision and pursuit of perfection that is making City such a devastating force.”
Sam Lee of Goal agreed: “It was not as breathtakingly beautiful a performance as the Blues have been putting in in recent weeks but they showed they are made of stronger stuff.
“it served as further evidence that this City side, despite what many are predicting, will not fall away like they did last season; that they are the real deal.
“It should go without saying that they will not win every game, and they could yet be troubled by injuries (as any team could), but those cautioning against ‘getting carried away’, or using last season’s evidence as proof that Guardiola’s men will suddenly implode, are barking up the wrong tree.
“Guardiola did not change his ways, the City players stuck with him, and we are seeing the benefits.”
Ex-City captain Richard Dunne also heaped praise on his former side – in particular penalty hero Ederson.
“They’re very close to replicating exactly what Barcelona had,” he told BT Sport. ‘The style of play, the way they press, how quickly they recover the ball when they lose it – they’re getting there.
“Ederson’s making important saves. His passing is excellent. He gives everyone confidence. His starting position every time is perfect and he’s creating attacks.
“He’s a big imposing fella. He’s been an excellent signing. For a team to go and win something, you need a strong defence and a good goalie.”
Former Arsenal star Ian Wright told Sky Sports City are exciting him as much as the successful United and Arsenal teams of the 1990s and 2000s did.
“City are brilliant to see,” he purred.
“City are giving it to me at the moment in the same way as those great United and Arsenal sides.
“You’re seeing a kind of football that excites you.
“City excites me. They’re brilliant.”
