Are Napoli on their way to the Serie A title?

Napoli haven't won the Serie A crown since 1990 but stand an excellent chance of going all the way and claiming a third Italian title this season. Maurizio Sarri's men are joint-second in the table and sit just four points behind current leaders Inter Milan.

While they are without a win in their last two games, Napoli have shown plenty of courage, quality and enthusiasm throughout the early stages of the campaign and will be quietly confident of picking up a much-needed victory at Atlanta on Sunday before the winter break. If they can maintain this form throughout the second half of the season, Napoli could pip their rivals to the title.

Crucially, Napoli have performed well against their nearest competitors this season - which could come in handy towards the business end of the campaign. In fact, there are only two teams who have picked up all three points against Napoli so far this term - Sassuolo and Bologna.

Meanwhile, Sarri's side have secured victories over Juventus, Fiorentina and Inter whilst they hammered AC Milan 4-0 in the San Siro. They have been very impressive against Serie A's top clubs and their consistency against the division's elite sides will prove beneficial, especially if the likes of Juventus, Roma and Inter all draw when they play each other.

The frustrating thing for Napoli's supporters is that, although the title is there for the taking, they are yet to hit the front and pull away from the pack. On paper, Napoli's results stand out due to their victories against Italy's elite clubs but they have dropped too many points against mid-table sides.

Sarri's men drew three of their opening five Serie A matches and had picked up just six points from a possible 15. Those stalemates against Sampdoria (16th), Empoli (9th) and Carpi (19th) could come back to haunt them as the season goes on. Napoli have so much potential but they must focus or they risk losing the title due to lacklustre performances.

It's tricky to pick a leading contender in the title race as it is still wide open, however, Napoli will fancy their chances of victory this season. Along with Juventus, they are well priced at 6/4 in bet365's Serie A betting markets and key personalities such as Pepe Reina, Vlad Chiriches and Gonzalo Higuain will be crucial to their aspirations.

Former Real Madrid striker Higuain will be particularly central and his 14 goals so far this season have seen him take an early lead as Serie A's top goalscorer. If Napoli continue to create opportunities for Higuain, he will score plenty more goals this campaign and may be the man to lead his club to the title.

So, can Napoli win the title this season? Well, they can but it won't be easy. It's unlikely that Sarri's men will be able to maintain an unbeaten record against Italy's elite throughout the campaign but, with a little more consistency and a bit of luck, there's absolutely no reason why Napoli cannot get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 1990.