"Finally realised how good he can", "Pep now knows how to get the best out of him" - Fans hail Manchester City star after Napoli win

Fans on X have waxed lyrical about Manchester City star Jeremy Doku after his outstanding performance in their 2-0 win over Napoli. The Cityzens commenced their UEFA Champions League campaign with a resounding victory over the Italian outfit at the Etihad on Thursday, September 17.

Pep Guardiola's side dominated the clash from the start and were handed the numerical advantage after Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off in the 21st minute for a tackle on Erling Haaland. The visitor held tight at the back, with goalkepepr Vanja Milinkovic-Savic making multiple saves to deny City a first-half goal.

However, the Premier League side broke the deadlock 11 minutes after the break through Haaland. The Norwigan headed home a Phil Foden chip to score his 50th Champions League goal.

Manchester City doubled their lead in the 65th minute after a sublime solo effort from Jeremy Doku. The Belgian winger received the ball from Tijjani Reijnders at the edge of the box and danced through Napoli's defence before slotting past Milinkovic-Savic.

Doku was on the pitch for 69 minutes before being replaced by Savinho. Aside from his goal, he was a constant threat in attack for the opposition. The 23-year-old completed the most dribbles in the match (three), created four chances, and landed one shot on target from two attempts. Also, he was the most fouled player (three) during the match.

Fans were impressed by Doku's showing on the night and hailed him with their comments on X. One fan said:

"Doku’s now finally realised how good he can be and now knows that not many can hang at his level."

A second fan added:

"Pep now knows how to get the best out of Doku, it’s his season."

A fan claimed that Doku's direct approach against Antonio Conte's side was more lethal than his usual pattern from the wings, saying:

"Doku is taking the ball in stride, facing opponents head on is far lethal than his usual approach from the wings." "Ngl, Doku was on fire tonight," another commented. "Jeremy Doku, you better keep up with this. I’m loving what I’ve been seeing the past two games," a fan posted.

Jeremy Doku has started the 2025-26 campaign brilliantly, registering two assists and a goal in five matches across competitions.

Erling Haaland sets new record in Manchester City's win over Napoli

Erling Haaland was on target as Manchester City got the better of Napoli in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday. The 25-year-old found the net in the 56th minute, propelling his side to a 2-0 victory.

Haaland's goal on the night was his 50th in the competition in only 49 appearances. He becomes the fastest player to reach the milestone, overtaking Ruud van Nistelrooy, who needed 62 games to hit the 50-goal mark.

The lethal Norwegian forward made his Champions League debut with RB Salzburg, netting eight times in six games for the Austrian side in the competition. He scored 15 times in 13 Champions League matches for Borussia Dortmund and has 27 goals in 30 UCL matches for Manchester City so far.

He is currently joint-ninth with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry on the competition's all-time goalscorers chart.

Edited by Okenna Okere