'Don't give a f**k' - How Man City found themselves again in defining week

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.

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.

City might not win the Premier League or the Champions League this year, but the feeling now is that they can at least challenge for those prizes rather than face another uphill battle to salvage the season.

There is certainly a contrast to last term. Then, City collapsed at the Emirates. Guardiola labelled the final 20 minutes "disastrous" as his team fell apart to lose 5-1. On Sunday, they showed immense spirit to almost hold on to a win that would have been out of keeping with what has gone before for them.

Guardiola himself admitted he was surprised at how well his team had defended against Arsenal's incessant pressure. The Gunners' quality of play and their own tiredness after a demanding week forced