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Manchester City have lost two of their first three games in the Premier League and have Manchester United and Arsenal on the horizon
Manchester City are already feeling the pressure as the Premier League pauses for the first international break of the season.
The campaign might only be three games old but back to back defeats have deflated the positivity following the opening day 4-0 win over Wolves.
City are in the bottom half of the table and are displaying some of the same frailties that saw them fall away spectacularly last winter.
Pep Guardiola has a new-look squad to work with after a busy summer transfer window but even the closing days of that yielded more questions with Gianluigi Donnarumma arriving on deadline day and Ederson departing, meaning the Blues have completely changed the goalkeeping guard this summer.
The arrival of Donnarumma will seemingly shunt James Trafford down to second choice just a matter of weeks after he spoke about being City's number one for the next decade. Trafford started the opening three matches of the season but may well have to settle for a place on the bench when the Premier League returns.
City's next game is a Manchester derby at the Etihad and is the first of three games in a week that even at this early stage of the calendar feel season-defining.
The Blues host United on Sunday September 15, before welcoming Serie A champions Napoli and Kevin De Bruyne to town the following Thursday in their first Champions League fixture.
City stuttered in Europe last term and will be keen to produce an improved showing this time around. A winning start would go a long way to exorcising the demons of last term but it will be a tough task against a Napoli side who have a 100 per cent record domestically and haven't conceded a goal in two matches so far.
Hot on the heels of the Napoli contest comes a trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal, where City were humbled 5-1 last term.
The Gunners were beaten by Liverpool last time out but have an enviable home record and the clash between two of the league's big-hitters can shape the narrative for the coming months.
If City can go to the capital and perform and return with a result, then the questions will be directed more at Mikel Arteta given Arsenal's summer splurge and trophy doubt. If the Blues come unstuck, particularly if they have also failed to beat United and Napoli, then Guardiola will have serious questions to answer.
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