Manchester City vs SSC Napoli

'You cannot imagine how I missed him' – Pep Guardiola leads Phil Foden love-in after Man City star rediscovers form heading into mammoth Arsenal clash

Phil Foden is back to his best at the perfect time for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola full of praise for the England star ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash with Arsenal. After a difficult 2024-25 season, Foden has rediscovered his spark in recent games, scoring against Manchester United on Sunday and assisting versus Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.

Man City player ratings vs Napoli: Jeremy Doku dazzles as Phil Foden continues renaissance while Erling Haaland scores AGAIN in battling win over 10-man Serie A giants

Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli on Thursday. Despite dominating the ball in the early stages, the visitors quickly became content to sit in a low block, soaking up City pressure before looking to hit on the counter. After a long range effort from Tijani Reijnders stung the gloves of Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to stop a Sam Beukema header from a Napoli corner.

Gianluigi Donnarumma 'leaving mum at home' as Man City goalkeeper plans to upset Napoli-supporting family in Champions League clash

Gianluigi Donnarumma joked about not taking his mother to the Etihad Stadium for the Champions League opener against Napoli on Thursday. The Manchester City goalkeeper, who arrived at the end of the summer transfer window, revealed that his family members are big supporters of the current Serie A champions. However, he remains determined on helping his new team kick-off their continental campaign with a win.

Revealed: Ex-Barcelona president's involvement in paid PR campaign to attack Pep Guardiola and other rivals on social media as WhatsApp messages emerge

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been directly linked to the Barcagate scandal after police uncovered WhatsApp messages showing he monitored a paid social media campaign designed to attack rivals and even Pep Guardiola. Investigators allege Bartomeu concealed contracts, manipulated polls, and used fake accounts to boost his image before the 2021 elections.

Man City shockingly branded an 'amateur team' as Paolo di Canio urges Napoli to 'seize great opportunity' against Pep Guardiola's side in Champions League clash

Manchester City have shockingly been branded an “amateur team” by Premier League cult hero Paolo di Canio. The ex-West Ham star believes that another of his former clubs, Serie A title holders Napoli, are capable of claiming a notable scalp when heading to the Etihad Stadium for an intriguing opening clash in their 2025-26 Champions League campaign.