Harmony returns as City regaining fans' connection

PEP Guardiola was having none of it when he was asked about the schedule after seeing Manchester City get their Champions League campaign up and running on Thursday night.

- By TYRONE MARSHALL

Asked initially what he planned to do in the short turnaround between facing Napoli and Arsenal, he joked he would take the squad hiking.

Pressed on whether he had spoken to the Premier League or UEFA about the schedule, Guardiola gave the idea short shrift.

Privately, City weren't happy with the lack of preparation time for one of their toughest games of the season, but publicly they wanted to avoid excuses.

Before the start of the week, this was seen as a litmus test for the Blues, and they didn't want to lose focus by worrying about things outside their control.

In the end, a week that could have derailed their season by the end of September has instead changed perceptions about what might be possible this season.

Wins against Manchester United and Napoli and a draw at Arsenal that showed plenty of character and fight have to be seen as positives.