Napoli have rediscovered some momentum at a critical point of the season. The 3-0 victory over Frosinone at the Maradona, confirmed by the official match report, was the kind of performance Allegri's side had been missing. Kevin De Bruyne was the standout figure, scoring twice from a central midfield role and driving the team's best display of the campaign. President Aurelio De Laurentiis publicly praised the tactical shift, with Allegri reverting to a back three that gave the squad greater defensive structure and attacking width through Noa Lang.

The win lifted Napoli to eighth in Serie A with ten points from six games, level with Frosinone just below them, as the standings show. That context matters. This is a squad carrying a significant injury list, with Buongiorno, Olivera, Anguissa and others all absent. The return of Scott McTominay from a cardiac arrhythmia issue provided a genuine lift, and Allegri has indicated the Scot could start against Villarreal.

That Champions League trip to Spain is now the immediate priority. Napoli sit at the bottom of the League Phase table with zero points after losing to Arsenal on matchday one, as reported ahead of the Villarreal fixture. Allegri will likely deploy a 3-5-2 with De Bruyne and McTominay alongside Gilmour in midfield. Three points in Spain would change the tone of Napoli's European campaign entirely.