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The placid stands of the Etihad stood witness as two of the most prolific attacking teams of Europe went head to head in the UEFA Champions League group stage encounter. A game that was expected to be the most exciting one among the midweek fixtures nearly lived up to its billing as both teams tested each other's resolve till the final minute.
Pep's men opened the scoring in the 9th minute as Raheem Sterling rattled the netting after Kyle Walker's shot was blocked inside the box. In under 5 minutes, City extended their lead as the ever-excellent Kevin De Bruyne drove in an inch-perfect grounded cross from the right flank for Gabriel Jesus to tap in.
Dries Mertens missed a penalty in the 34th minute as Ederson saved a poorly struck shot with his feet. Napoli continued to pile up the pressure and eventually got a goal back in the 73rd minute as Diawara converted from the spot after Fernandinho carelessly brought Ghoulam down in the area.
The match opened up after that but the Citizens defended with resolve and saw the game out without further damage.
Let's take a look at the 5 talking points from the match.
#1 We need to talk about Kevin
First of all, what a player. If you think your much-overused postulations on who the best players in the world are is starting to sound stale, add a fresh new page and write this man's name on top, in bold. Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne gauges angles and spaces and ferrets out human resources like a master architect and in his hands, the fortress of Manchester City will flourish.
The Belgian's assist was yet another grounded ball from the right wing which ended up at Jesus's feet and the Man City striker knows he won't score many goals easier than that.
De Bruyne would have torn the net in the 25th minute-- with a projectile he launched with his left foot from 30 yards out-- but had to settle with knocking the demons out of the woodwork. In the very next minute, he won a freekick outside the area.
If he was half a second quicker with his pass to Jesus in the 75th minute, City could have gone 3-1 up but the slightly delayed pass led to the Brazilian being flagged offside. But even then, the craft involved in taking 3 Napoli defenders out of the game with one swift swipe is mighty adorable.
Even his freekick from an acute angle in the 79th minute raised concerns for the Serie A outfit.
De Bruyne and Leroy Sane have developed a telepathic connection between themselves and combine to cause a special brand of mayhem.
De Bruyne is the full package. He has quick feet, possesses a well-wired cranium and is committed to the cause like no other.
#2 Napoli took too much time to grow into the game
The first real chance for Napoli came in the 34th minute when Insigne served a curving ball from the left into the 6-yard box but Mertens couldn't get to the end of it. They still hadn't registered a shot on target at that point.
They enjoyed a brief spell of possession after that and Kyle Walker's delinquency won them a penalty. Mertens botched the chance to pull one back on Pep's men as Ederson saved his spot-kick.
Napoli got better in the second half and with some precise passing, they started working the flanks as City started sitting deeper. As a result, Walker and Delph had to provide cover and this hampered City's chances going forward.
But Manchester City's attack is often ruthless as evidenced by their ridiculous scoring rate and unless you grab the game by the scruff of its neck in the first quarter of 90 minutes, bad news is almost certain to follow.
#3 Ederson the iceman and John Stones the formidable
It was difficult to ignore the kindof calmness that the tatted up Citizen goalkeeper seemed to possess when trusted with the ball. He hardly ever looked flustered or like he could be harried. In fact, he was the one hustling about and setting the onslaughts in motion.
His penalty save might not have been spectacular but the swagger with which he commands the area is what Pep will absolutely adore. Ederson didn't show signs of flaking in front of the Napoli attackers when he was pressed and in fact, was deft enough to tease them by using passing channels just a few yards away from their feet.
In the 52nd minute, Callejon was released on the right flank and was clear to cut in and run towards goal but Ederson was decisive and quick enough to cut it out. He did so with characteristic ease.
The Brazilian goalkeeper completed 42 of his passes at an impressive success rate of 81%. Reliable.
There was a minor blip in the 64th minute when he came running in and couldn't cut out a squared all by Mertens from inside the area to find Hamsik. Hamsik was through except John Stones was up to the task and thwarted what was a sure goal with an excellent challenge.
John Stones is one of the first names on Pep's teamsheet for his quality distribution. And he justified the same with his accurate passing. He completed 53 of his 53 attempted passes in the first half.
However, Pep may not be too pleased with the rest of the defence as they tended to be a bit too casual in their own box which led to 2 penalties. Fernandinho's tackle on Ghoulam was particularly lazy and cynical.
But Stones' partner in central defence, Otamendi also chipped in with some encouraging signs.
What Ederson essentially brings to Pep is the contentment that he now has bankable individuals in every position on the pitch. And that, my lads, is worthy of the heaviest sighs of relief for a manager.
#4 Napoli exploited City's weaknesses but weren't clinical
Napoli's decision to move further up the field in the second half worked for the better part. When they were breaking on the counter, the Serie A leaders tried to exploit the gaps that opened up in defence in the absence of Walker or Delph protecting the wings.
They also switched the play to the wings to great effect and stretched the City midfielders who were getting a little too comfortable defending in packs.
Napoli's patient game, quick interplay and swift movements caused City defenders some trouble and the game was well on its way to becoming a cagey affair.
However, their movement and passing in the final third left a lot to be desired. After Insigne was taken off, Napoli lost a bit of steam.
Mertens' spot-kick in the first half was a rather tame effort and if that had gone in, it could have been an entirely different game.
#5 Manchester City win the midfield battle but that need not be the rule
Manchester City pressed high up the pitch in the opening quarter of the game and they cut down Napoli's passing channels to great effect. Their almost instant transitioning from defence to attack and fluid passing meant that the visitors were often on the backfoot.
City were compact in defence and constantly squeezed Napoli out of possession. Going forward, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane were constant threats and their pace and quality on the ball caused Koulibaly and his cronies quite a few headaches.
While defending, the wing backs stayed near the halfway line and the midfielders and the attackers cramped Napoli for space and got themselves into good positions to win the second ball.
Even in spells when they were gradually getting marked out of significance, City's midfielders were clever enough to break free into space and push Napoli back by several yards.
However, once Napoli successfully shifted gears, the Citizens were pushed back into their own half. Clumsy tackling and complacency from the Blues led to a nervy finish. Though they held their own and got 3 points, the game surely threw light on their perceived frailties and their competition in the Premier League will want to make a note of that.
