Wilfred Ndidi has spoken candidly on what needs to change for Leicester City to return to winning form as they prepare to face Ipswich Town at Portman Road in tomorrow’s Premier League clash.
The Foxes had built momentum with consecutive wins over Bournemouth and Southampton, yet that was abruptly halted by a defeat to Nottingham Forest at the King Power Stadium last Friday.
A subsequent thrashing by Manchester United in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday marked their fifth loss of the season across all competitions.
Leicester, once Premier League champions, have struggled with defensive issues this season, and recent games have intensified concerns. Notably, they have conceded the opening goal in four of their last five matches.
This pattern emerged against Arsenal, where they had to claw back from a two-goal deficit to overcome Southampton, and continued with early concessions in their defeats to both Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
Speaking ahead of the Ipswich game, Ndidi, a key player in Leicester’s lineup, highlighted the importance of breaking this costly habit.
“It’s something that needs to stop,” the Nigeria international admitted. “We want to be in the lead, get the goal, and get the momentum going. But when you go a goal down, you have to give everything to get back into the game.
“When we concede first, it becomes a shock and an eye opener because we know we are a good team and we can actually win these games. We have to give more and then we just start [playing].”
The midfielder underscored Leicester’s renewed focus on starting matches more aggressively and decisively, aiming to set the pace rather than chase it.
“Now we’re trying as much as possible to find a way not to concede, get into the game and then keep it going,” he explained.
“We want to try and give everything at the beginning of the game, where we don’t concede but we try to get a goal. That’s what we have to do going forward.”
Ndidi, who has featured in all nine Premier League games for Leicester this season, has contributed four assists and made an impressive 33 tackles, tying for the highest in the division.
His influence and insight could prove crucial if the Foxes are to overcome their defensive lapses and regain the form they need to climb the league standings.