Manchester City 2-0 Napoli Review

Champions League LP1

There were plenty of promising signs in the derby win, from individual players, but this performance against Napoli showed the team being sharp on the ball, quick to recover possession as a group, and with more solutions to break down an opposition defending deep in their penalty box. The red card cannot be ignored. It’s only been two wins. Yet, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the direction the team is moving, and what the ‘new team’ could look like.

MOTM: PHIL FODEN

Notable Stats:

• Before beating Napoli, the last home match Manchester City beat a team from Europe's T5 Leagues in the Champions League was RB Leipzig (28/11/2023).

• Phil Foden completed 8 key passes in the match against Napoli. Ousmane Dembele (vs Aston Villa, 2025) was the last player to match that in a CL game. The last time a Manchester City player completed 8+ key passes in a single CL match was Kevin De Bruyne (9) against Real Madrid (2020).

• Manchester City's Erling Haaland has scored his 50th goal on his 49th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, reaching half a century of goals in at least 13 appearances fewer than any other player (Ruud van Nistelrooy, closest - 62 apps).

Game Stats:

Manchester City 2-0 Napoli

• xG: 2.18 -0.17

• xThreat: 2.58 - 0.67

• Possession: 73.6% - 26.4%

• Field Tilt: 92.1% - 7.9%

• Penalty Box Shots: 14 - 1

• Deep Entries: 22 - 4

• PPDA: 10.2 - 52.4

• High Turnovers: 6 - 0

Rodri starts a CL match for the first time since Inter Milan (H) on the 18th September 2024.

Back-to-back full 90's for Phil Foden for the first time since January 2025 (Chelsea/Club Brugge).

First home start in the CL for Abdukodir Khusanov.

First start & full 90' for Nico O'Reilly in the CL.

If you want to stay up-to-date on individual player minutes, back four combinations, underlying numbers, and more, check out the live Google sheet below. 👇

Pep Guardiola named the same starting eleven for the game against Napoli, which speaks to the players he trusts and the desire to find some consistency. Some momentum. An important lesson from the new CL format last season is that you must win your home matches. A point against Inter Milan last season was not a good point.

You did see, before the red card, Bernardo Silva in the press covering De Bruyne and the LB of Napoli, as Foden is the right forward ready to press the LCB. If he jumps to press the LB, then Rodri backs him up to press De Bruyne. Speaking of Rodri, he was more involved in the opening twenty minutes, backing up the press, moving out wide, tracking a midfielder, or dropping into the defensive line. Expect that to follow against Arsenal. Although the role Bernardo played could change.

Note, Bernardo was the RCM out of possession, and in possession the right winger as Foden played central.

When deeper in their block, Manchester City were in a 4-1-4-1 with the two wingers wanting to push up to make a 4-4-2 if the opposition shifted the ball across to one CB, to try to lock them on one side. A couple of times, City recovered the ball this way, as Foden pushed up, Doku could intercept the pass out to the Napoli RW. Bernardo tracked McTominay inside the block. Reijnders would press the RCB of Napoli if he was turned to the play whilst waiting to receive a pass.

In possession, it was a similar setup to what we saw against Manchester United, with O’Reilly and Doku rotating on the left side, Bernardo Silva holding the width as the RW, and Foden finding space between the lines. Khusanov picked up fairly advanced positions as McTominay was quite deep defending the box.

When it came to Napoli's defending. Outside the box, in their block, if a defender steps out, a midfielder drops in to maintain the five atb. They weren't that bothered about covering the half-space if they had three defenders in the backline covering the near-post/centre/far-post.

Dropping into their box to defend the ball side. 2v1 against Jeremy Doku with the FB/Winger outside the box. Two midfielders drop into the half-space to cover that area inside the box. Three defenders covering the box near/centre/far. The remaining CM/Winger covers the top of the box to track runners and pick up second balls.

Doku still manages to make the byline a few times to force crosses or win corners. Picks out the space on the top of the box for teammates to take shots (Reijnders/Gvardiol). If they moved the ball quickly enough, they found space on the top of the D for shots as well (Foden). As good as the initial setup was, they didn't adjust quickly when City moved the ball faster.

After the red card, Conte decides to sacrifice the extra player that was filling the half-space. Still too focused on overloading against Doku in the 2v1, they left passing options for him to pick out, and if they wanted to cover that player (NOR) in the half-space, you left the top of the box open.

It would have been forgotten late into the match. This was an important save by Donnarumma to not give Napoli any momentum or a lead to defend. Khusanov is beaten in the air, but the keeper is already switched on and moved into the position to prevent Napoli from scoring.

It’s not long into the match that the red card (21’) comes, after a VAR call. Long pass from Donnarumma, who Napoli chose not to press directly, the defender marking Haaland heads the ball into space, Foden is arriving into. One touch, then the pass with the outside of his boot to Haaland. Lovely run, swapping to the outside of the defender, which no doubt caused his panic to make a rash challenge.

One change apparent after half-time was to ensure Bernardo Silva remained the RW in possession, stretching the touchline as much as possible. Below is his touch map from the first half (top) compared to the second half (bottom).

We saw in the first half Khusanov finding himself at times there, which wasn’t somewhere he was comfortable, nor was he a threat to cross the ball, or get into the box. Along with Silva having a better first touch, receiving a switch.

That all comes together when you look at their box entries. The plan wasn’t to have both sides driving into the penalty area. Bernardo was holding the width on the right side, stretching the backline, and a few times was able to receive a switch before cutting into the half-space for a cross. It’s on the left side; they were looking to combine the likes of Doku, Reijnders, and O’Reilly. To move the ball quickly to find Phil Foden in the middle. For the two goals, those are situations in the buildup to them.

Erling Haaland 56' 1-0 
Long throw over the top to Nico O'Reilly, who is then able to carry the ball a third of the pitch and play it back inside to Reijnders. He fires it across to Rodri, who then plays it through to Foden just outside the D.

Something to point out with Haaland this season. He's not pinning CBs as much as last season, standing a couple of yards away from them in space. Harder to stop him in motion, track, and anticipate the start of his run.

Phil Foden takes the ball on the half-turn and chips the ball over the top for Erling Haaland, who header just to lift it out of the keeper's reach.

Jeremy Doku 65' 2-0 
O'Reilly lays it off to Reijnders and makes a run into the box, as Doku drifts over. Reijnders initiates the 1-2, and what's clever from Doku here is to open up his body as if he's going to give it back before turning to drive at the box.

Now, he's in the position Guardiola spoke about after the match. If he can find space here, then after beating 1 central defender, he's in the box facing the keeper. Compared to out wide, beating a full-back to meet another defender closing off the near-post.

O'Reilly does well to be in front of the full-back, stopping him from challenging Doku, who bursts past the central defender and shoots with his left foot through the keeper's legs. This season, Doku has scored two goals with his left foot. One against Napoli and one for Belgium in WC qualification. Before this season, the last goal he scored with his left foot was in Ligue 1 for Rennes vs Metz (13/08/2023). He’s getting into these positions to take shots with his left foot due to the freedom to move inside, as O’Reilly or Reijnders pulls out wide. Arriving then into the box more centrally, the angle is there for it. Inside the box, Doku can strike the ball well with either foot.

The subs were all well-timed, with Nico Gonzalez coming on for Rodri (60’) just before the second goal, which will have him rested and in contention for the game against Arsenal. The value of having a genuine number six to come on and rotate with Rodri.

Jeremy Doku off for Savinho (69’), a few minutes after his goal doubled the lead, similar to Rodri, he’s off, and you’d expect now in contention for the Arsenal match. Savinho continues to build up his fitness and should get his full start of this season in the League Cup match against Huddersfield.

The final set of substitutions (80’), as the tempo of the game slowed right down in the closing stages, was a triple change. Reijnders, Haaland, and Gvardiol coming off. Lewis, Ake, and Bobb coming on.

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Moving Forward

Phil Foden provided 1 assist, created 8 chances, 1 big chance created, and had accumulated 1.39 xA against Napoli. 5/11 crosses completed. 2/3 long balls completed. Adding more creativity to his game this season, and a key part of that is expanding his passing range. Across the last two games, the PrgP distance per 90 for Phil Foden was 257.7 yards. Last season, his average was 128 yards. 23/24 was 124.3 yards. He's also made more switches (4) this season than he made during the entire 24/25 season (3).

We've seen in the past two games how much more threatening Jeremy Doku can be in the half-spaces and what he can give to the team in the buildup with his hold-up play. His strength separates him from previous City wingers to be directly compared to.

0.44 xG is the most he's accumulated in a single match since Luton Town (H) during the 23/24 season. Using his acceleration, around the top of the box, playing 1-2s is something to make more use of. His ability 1v1 when inside, driving into the middle of the box, will end up with Doku taking shots from better positions. Much more to come from him, and he's got to deliver it consistently, but great to see in these last two games.

Stress that this is only a small sample size. I think it's interesting, away from the ovbious changes people are seeing with Doku on the pitch, the underlying numbers. Perhaps he is becoming more efficient as the season goes on.

Use his carrying ability along the touchline strictly for progression into the final third, not driving to the byline as much, and utilizing his 1v1 less outwide, beating a full-back to gain box entry on the side.

Choosing those moments better, rather than forcing them again and again. Use that 1v1 ability more to gain access to the middle, to drive to the goal/find a teammate, or to win a foul.

Treating the PA as an area to be efficient in your touches once you gain entry. Getting into the box from the top of the left side, the shot with his left foot opens up.

Attacking PA touches per 90
- 22/23 Rennes 6.27  
- 23/24 City 13.1  
- 24/25 City 10.3 
- 25/26 City 6.9 

npxG + xAG per 90
- 22/23 Rennes 0.60 
- 23/24 City 0.46 
- 24/25 City 0.37 
- 25/26 City 0.83

If you’re looking for more content on the match, then you can check out the video from our YouTube channel linked below discussing the performance. 👇

Next up for Manchester City is Arsenal (A) on the 21st of September at 16:30 (UK). This will be the first proper test of the team's level and an opportunity to put right the poor performance there last season.

It’s worth reminding yourself of the team that played against Arsenal in the 5-1 loss last season. Manuel Akanji, Matheus Nunes, and Stefan Ortega are not expected to feature. If Stones does play, it won’t be as the LCB. Neither Kovacic nor Bernardo will be the number six. It’s going to be a very different team.

On the pitch, with the performance, they gifted the first half goal to Arsenal, and collapsed in the final twenty minutes. Something Guardiola has already pointed out cannot happen this time around.