Napoli had a shaky start to their 2015/16 campaign but a couple of positive results have again propelled the southerners among the favourites in Serie A.
Napoli were unexpectedly beaten by Sassuolo on the opening day before back-to-back draws against Sampdoria and Empoli.
A resounding 5-0 home win over Lazio restored some lost pride but an unexpected draw at lowly Carpi brought Napoli back down to earth.
Coach Maurizio Sarri, who joined Napoli in summer, must have done a lot of soul-searching after that stalemate as his team hit back with three straight wins against Juventus (2-1), Milan (4-0) and Fiorentina (2-1) to recover lost ground.
Following the last round of matches, Napoli have 15 points, level with Sassuolo and Lazio, two adrift of Inter and Roma and three behind leaders Fiorentina.
The uninspiring start cast several doubts on Sarri’s ability to lead a title-aspiring team to glory.
Sarri, the mastermind behind Empoli’s ascendency of late, made a headline-grabbing move to Napoli in the off-season.
Many thought that his days could be numbered but thanks to the club’s backing and support, Sarri did not take long to settle in his new environs and the results started coming.
Wins over Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina are not obtained by sheer coincidence but through superb performances from a side firing on all cylinders and brimming with confidence.
Napoli have now amply demonstrated that they have what it takes to, at least, make a creditable quest for a top-three finish.
At Napoli, Sarri, 56, has one of the best forward lines in the league.
Gonzalo Higuain, Manolo Gabbiadini, Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon are all formidable strikers who give the side several options up front.
So, it comes as no surprise that Napoli have scored in all their first eight league fixtures except in the goalless draw at Carpi.
So far, Napoli scored 18 goals and possess the second most prolific attack in the top flight. Only Roma have found the back of the net more frequently than Napoli – 20 times.
In the Europa League, Napoli hold a 100 per cent winning record thanks to wins over Brugge (5-0) and Legia Warsaw (2-0).
Tomorrow, they seek to extend their winning streak as they take on Midtjylland of Denmark.
Although there are many strong sides in the Europa League this year, I think that Napoli can easily rank among the favourites to lift the trophy for the first time in 27 years and in so doing, become the first Italian club to win the competition since Parma in 1999.
Midfield options
Sarri can also count on a strong midfield compartment. Marques Allan – their marque signing from Udinese – is proving to be a valuable addition.
David Lopez and Jorginho are also key performers in Sarri’s formation this year.
Meanwhile, Marek Hamsik is back to his best after two below-par seasons under the charge of previous coach Rafa Benitez.
Mirko Valdifiori, however, has been a let-down.
Sarri already had the midfielder with him at Empoli and many had expected him to feature prominently in Napoli’s starting formation this season.
But it was not the case so far as the Italy international is yet to leave his mark at the San Paolo stadium.
Although only Fiorentina and Inter (six goals each) have conceded less goals than Napoli (eight) at this early phase of the season, the two-times champions still need to improve defensively, particularly when playing away – one win and two draws from four outings.
It was quite conceivable that Napoli would go through an initial bumpy period of transition. But their winning streak of late has enabled them to make a bold statement of intent – Napoli are back in business.
Now, Sarri has to make sure that his men remain consistent and stay in touch with the early pace-setters.
If that happens, one should not exclude Napoli from having their say in the race for the scudetto.