The next two fixtures are crucial for Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City picked up an important 3-nil win over Manchester United on Sunday. Before Sunday’s victory, Pep Guardiola’s side had only picked up three points from their first three Premier League fixtures. Their win over Wolves at Molineux on the opening weekend of the 25/26 season felt like a long time ago as Pep Guardiola’s side then fell to successive defeats to Tottenham and Brighton before Sunday’s win over their local rivals.

Following their derby victory, the next two fixtures that Manchester City play are crucial to the confidence and belief of City’s new-look squad. They face Napoli on Thursday night in their opening UEFA Champions League league phase fixture. That game is followed by a a clash with Arsenal in the Premier League next Sunday at the Emirates Stadium. City need to retain the positive momentum they built on Sunday against Ruben Amorim’s side. Their next two matches are crucial in this regard.

Manchester City needs to continue their momentum from Sunday’s match.

The Manchester City squad should take tremendous belief and confidence from their victory over Manchester United on Sunday. They put away their local rivals and that should set them up for what comes next. Two tough fixtures await Pep Guardiola’s side. Napoli under Antonio Conte are a formidable proposition. They are the current Serie A holders and will be a tough nut for City to crack. Kevin De Bruyne will also return to the Etihad for the first time since leaving Manchester City last summer. He will be determined to show City that they made a mistake in letting him go. The confidence City gained from there win over United should see them enter Thursday night’s match with the belief that they can begin their Champions League complain with a victory.

Following their Champions League clash with Napoli, City will travel to London to face Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium next Sunday. That is a tough challenge for Pep Guardiola’s side to conquer. Especially considering they will barely have any rest between the Napoli fixture and their trip to London for a crucial Premier League fixture. Pep Guardiola’s side was also badly beaten 5-1 by Arsenal in the corresponding fixture last season. If they can pick up at least a point, or more, against Arsenal in just under a week’s time, that could prove to be invaluable for what lies ahead this season.

Summary.

Manchester City’s next two fixtures are crucial. It is too early to say they are crucial to City’s chances of winning this season’s Premier League or the Champions League for that matter. Pep Guardiola’s side already trails Liverpool by six points on the Premier League table. The latest Premier League odds have City as third favourites for the title. That is a fair reflection of where City sit currently, despite their victory over Manchester United. But if Pep Guardiola’s side can pick up good results against Napoli and Arsenal, it could inspire them for what lies ahead.