- Focus shifts to the Emirates FA Cup for Leicester City on Saturday afternoon
- The Foxes face fellow Sky Bet Championship outfit Millwall in a 12:30pm kick-off at The Den
- Hamza Choudhury previewed the cup fixture and reflected on City’s recent form
- This competition holds special memories for the midfielder having won it in 2021
The Foxes visit The Den at 12:30pm on Saturday aiming to secure a safe passage into the fourth round of a competition the Club lifted for the first time back in 2021, an occasion that always brings back fond memories for Choudhury.
City will head into this tie in fine form, too, having triumphed in their last two matches against Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town at the back end of the festive period to remain top of the Sky Bet Championship.
“At any level, the Christmas period is so important, to win your games and especially at home,” the Academy graduate reflected earlier this week, fresh from captaining the side at Cardiff. “We had a couple at home and then on the road we’ve been really good this season so to pick up almost maximum points has been massive for us.
“I’ve great memories (of winning the FA Cup). It’s obviously something that none of the players, the fans or the city will forget any time soon. We’ve got such a good squad and such a good team, so I don’t see why we can’t go on another big cup run and we’ll see what comes after Saturday.”
This campaign’s relentless schedule has eased slightly at the turn of the year, with almost a full week to prepare for the weekend trip to the capital. The 3-2 win over Saturday’s opponents less than a month ago was a clear indication of the threats they will pose, especially at home.
The Loughborough-born midfielder continued: “It feels a bit strange to not be travelling or playing games but it’s nice. It’s important for the lads to rest and recover and hit the second part of the season in full flow.
“All the lads in the changing room love playing football, especially the way we’ve playing now, so to have another competition to compete in is important for us. We want to win every game, so we’ll go into Millwall on Saturday with confidence and most importantly wanting to win the game.
“They are obviously a very good team and this one is away from home so it will be very difficult down there. But we’ve got a lot of very experienced lads in the dressing room who are used to these occasions. Hopefully we can get through to the next round.”
Now an experienced head in the dressing room, Choudhury has taken on an inverted full-back role at times this term, transitioning from a more conventional holding midfielder to great effect. He credited Manager Enzo Maresca and the way he has adapted the style and system, something the players embraced from day one.
“I’m enjoying it massively,” the 26-year-old added. “It’s a different role. It’s new for me, it’s new for Ricky (Ricardo Pereira), it’s new for whoever plays in that position. To be able to do both things on and off the ball suits my attributes so I’m really enjoying helping the team.
“I’m learning a lot every day from the Manager and when I’m not playing, watching the games. He’s got such experience – with [Manuel] Pellegrini and at Manchester City last year, so he’s worked with the best and played at such a high level.
“For him to come in, with his stature, to teach it to us first hand, it’s amazing. The lads are lapping it up and hopefully we can keep improving. He’s only been here six months so the amount we’ve come on is scary but we know there’s still a lot of work to do and we’re excited to do it.”
All times GMT.