After more than six weeks away from the league due to the 2022 World Cup finals, City will resume our defence of the crown away at Leeds United on Wednesday evening (kick-off 8pm).
That trip across the Pennines is then followed by a New Year’s Eve assignment at home to Everton (kick-off 3pm), before Guardiola’s side are then next in action away at Chelsea on Thursday January 5, for another 8pm assignment.
And for former City midfielder Brown, who was one of our Matchday Live special guests for our return to competitive action in last Thursday’s exciting 3-2 Carabao Cup fourth round win over Liverpool, the way the festive schedule has panned out offers plenty of positives.
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“The timings of the games are really good and important I think with the days that the players can get off through the Christmas period,” Brown declared.
“There was a nice gap now from the Liverpool match to the next game at Leeds.
“And I think family wise, and players wise they might not have to train Christmas Day, New Year’s Day etc, where its different to many other years.
“The Leeds game will be high energy, high press, so I think it (the schedule) works really well as you don’t normally get those family days.
“You look at the structure of the games on the 28th and New Year’s Eve and there is good recovery days in between and I think that will be so important for the players.”
For his part, former City and England goalkeeper David James believes the calibre of our display against Liverpool served as the perfect statement of intent from Pep Guardiola’s men.
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Furthermore, James says the emergence of so many exciting young talents further illustrates the strength in depth of the City squad.
“Leeds are going to be in the same position that City were in on Thursday (when we played Liverpool),” James added.
“They’ve had a long break so there’s going to be a lot of energy there, I think.
“But I think anyone now playing City in the next few weeks, they will look at the Liverpool match and look at the City squad and are going to go :‘Strewth, hang on a minute. They all look gelled.’
“Rico Lewis looks like he has been in the side for three years, while Cole Palmer looked like a real part of the team in that Liverpool game.”
