- Manchester City trained at the Etihad Campus ahead of Tuesday night’s match
- City thrashed Stoke 7-2 on Saturday in a sensational display of attacking football
- Guardiola rejected claims he was engaging in mind games ahead of the fixture
Manchester City were put through their paces on Monday as Pep Guardiola’s in-form side trained ahead of their Champions League game against Napoli.
Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were among City’s plethora of attacking options present at the training session on the Etihad Campus.
Kyle Walker and Leroy Sane were spotted sharing a joke after both men played key roles in City’s 7-2 thrashing of Stoke on Saturday afternoon.
Kyle Walker and Leroy Sane share a joke as Manchester City trained on Monday afternoon
Kevin De Bruyne was present ahead of the Champions League clash with Napoli on Tuesday
John Stones will be hoping City make it three Champions League clean sheets in a row
Sane was among the six different goalscorers as City delivered a sensational display of attacking football to dismantle Mark Hughes’ side at the Etihad.
He was joined on the scoresheet by Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva and Jesus, who scored twice, as City went two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.
City’s star man was De Bruyne however, with the Belgian at the heart of the performance with two assists including a sensational cross for Sane’s goal.
Such is the wealth of weapons at his disposal, Guardiola left Aguero on the bench against Stoke but the striker will be hoping to be involved when City host Napoli on Tuesday evening.
Sergio Aguero has not been involved since the 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk due to injury
Fernandinho (left) competes for the ball with compatriot Gabriel Jesus during the session
Raheem Sterling scored City’s second in their 7-2 victory over Stoke at home on Saturday
Aguero hasn’t featured since injuring his rib in a car accident in late September but he may struggle to displace Jesus in City’s XI after the Brazilian netted his fifth and six Premier League goals of the season against Stoke.
Guardiola rejected claims that his praise for Napoli was disingenuous after described the Serie A leaders as one of Europe’s finest sides when City were drawn against them in their Champions League group.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis suggested he was attempting to play mind games with his opponents but Guardiola insisted: ‘I believe they are a really good team in all sense. But if the president prefers to hear they are a disaster team I can say that as well’.
City have won both their Champions League games so far, following a 4-0 victory away at Feyenoord with a 2-0 home success against Shakhtar Donetsk.
German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan (centre) featured as a second-half substitute against Stoke
Aguero (right) trains alongside youngster Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has yet to feature for City
Pep Guardiola watches on as he prepares to take on Serie A leaders Napoli on Tuesday night