By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 8:42 a.m. ET Sept. 16, 2011
LONDON (AP) -After having its wings clipped by Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City will look to rediscover its dynamic early-season Premier League form when the team travels to Fulham on Sunday.
City's expensively assembled forward line, which has scored a total of 15 goals in the team's four straight league victories, needed Serbia left back Aleksandar Kolarov's superb late free kick to rescue a 1-1 draw in its Champions League debut on Wednesday.
Roberto Mancini's side will attempt to bounce back from that setback against Fulham, which is third from bottom and one of five teams without a league win this season.
"Fulham is a difficult away game and that will make it easy for us to focus again," said City captain Vincent Kompany.
"I wouldn't change too much in what we did against Napoli. We are doing really well this season, playing great football and having a lot of possession and that is what we will look to do."
Mancini struggled last season to juggle the demands of playing in the Europa League while also attempting to maintain a concerted challenge for the Premier League title.
City, though, has a stronger squad this season and should find things easier, with Argentina striker Carlos Tevez - a late substitute on Wednesday - among those hoping to be recalled.
"It's going to be a tough act for us to experience this in the Champions League - playing away in Europe and then bouncing back to the Premier League," midfielder Gareth Barry said.
"It is something we are going to have to adapt to quickly, but we have got a big squad and everyone is ready to step in when they are needed."
A win for City would keep the pressure on league leader Manchester United, which hosts third-place Chelsea on the same day.
While United has been even more rampant than City, scoring 18 goals including eight from in-form striker Wayne Rooney, Chelsea has failed to spark under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.
The London club has, though, picked up 10 points from a possible 12 thanks to three straight narrow wins and United manager Alex Ferguson expects Chelsea to be title contenders.
"They will be there at the end of the season, there is no doubt about that," Ferguson said Friday. "At the moment, of course, the two Manchester teams are enjoying the publicity that comes from the predictions that they are going to be involved in the winning of the league.
"In the background lurks Chelsea. They don't need the publicity. They will be enjoying being out of the profile at the moment."
Tottenham and Liverpool, who meet at White Hart Lane on Sunday, are widely expected to be among the teams challenging for one of the four Champions League places at the end of the season but they could have a surprise rival in Stoke.
The unfashionable team from central England qualified for the Europa League by reaching the FA Cup final last season and is unbeaten in the league after four games, its 1-0 victory over Liverpool last weekend lifting it to fifth.
Having strengthened its squad with the signings of England striker Peter Crouch and Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios on transfer deadline day, Stoke proved its emerging credentials by drawing 1-1 at Dynamo Kiev in its Europa League opener on Thursday.
"I am diving into a pool of water I'm not used to, so I am going to have to learn as we go along," said Stoke manager Tony Pulis, whose team visits Sunderland in Sunday's other match.
Fourth-place Newcastle is the other surprise package early this season and the northeast side's unbeaten record is put on the line when it travels to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Arsenal looks to back up its encouraging 1-1 draw at German champion Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday when it visits struggling Blackburn, which is bottom of the table on just one point from four games.
Disgruntled supporters upset at Blackburn's start to the season are planning a protest march before the match at Ewood Park, demanding the removal of under-pressure manager Steve Kean, who has been in charge since December.
"I have a lot of sympathy for Steve Kean," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Friday. "He is a young manager and you want to give him time to do his job."
In Saturday's other matches, Bolton hosts Norwich, Everton is at home to Wigan, West Bromwich Albion visits Swansea and Wolverhampton Wanderers host Queen Park Rangers.
? 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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