Dickov: Quick Leicester turnaround can help reignite City | OneFootball

Paul Dickov says the intensive nature of the festive fixture schedule with a Premier League trip to Leicester just two days away, offers City the ideal incentive to end 2024 on a high.

City will make the trip to the King Power Stadium on Sunday seeking to close out the year on a positive note after what has been a tough run of results over the past two months.

The champions will travel to the East Midlands on the back of Boxing Day’s frustrating 1-1 home draw with Everton.

It will be our eighth and final game of what has been a relentless set of fixtures across December.

But for Dickov, the quick turnaround – with the game coming just 72 hours after the Everton draw – could act as a positive incentive for Pep’s players.

“[When you are on a tough run] it’s so difficult as all the noise comes from outside and all you want to do is put it behind you,” Dickov reflected.

“Whatever has happened, be it a loss, a draw, a missed chance - you put it behind you.

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“If you keep dwelling on it, that’s when you make more mistakes

“The key mentally is to put it behind you so sometimes a quick turnaround in games is the best thing that can happen.

“Yes, the guys will have been frustrated with the result on Boxing Day, but they won’t have time to dwell on it.

“They know that the next game is coming very soon.

“And I think the performance was better on Boxing Day, especially the first half, so they can build on that too.”

Leicester are now under the leadership of former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nisterlrooy and will welcome City on the back of three straight league losses, the latest being a 3-1 reverse at Liverpool on Boxing Day.

And for Steve Howey, Dickov’s fellow Matchday Live special guest on Boxing Day, the trip to Leicester also offers City the opportunity to reset and a chance to build some momentum once again.

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“Leicester are a team that have shipped a fair few goals in their last few games,” Howey pointed out.

“They have a new manager in Ruud van Nistelrooy who is obviously ex-Manchester United so he will be looking to put one over City

“But it’s a game where we can hopefully get a win and so start to get the ball rolling again

“It will be a tough test but given the quality we have in the dressing room we can hopefully get the win.”

“Steve and I both played for Leicester and it can be a tough place to go,” Dickov pointed out.

“What you have to do is not give them many chances in the first 10 to 15 minutes as the crowd will be really up for it beforehand.

“But if we silence them, we could change the atmosphere there - especially given their position at the minute.”