City have lost four matches in a row following their 2-1 reverse at Brighton at the weekend but the defender suggests that those dismissing their chances of winning the title will be proven wrong.

Asked if this was the hardest period of his City career, Dias said: "Difficult to say. Last season we had a tough period around the same time before Christmas ... even the treble season. I think when we did the treble, we even call it [as a joke] the dark January. We had a tough period over then.

"Always what matters is how you bounce back from these moments, and that's why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together.

"We don't find people to kill. We find people to bring into the cause and fight together and that's what we need to do once again."

Dias has won plenty of silverware since joining City in 2020 but says that the team are under pressure to stop their season from falling apart at an early stage as they bid to win a fifth league title in a row.

The Portuguese player said: "It's our legacy at stake. Even though we've won so much, it's very easy to choose to relax and just accept it. Accept the fact that we've done enough. But you've only done enough when you're finished and we're all very aware of it and we all want to keep pushing."

Quizzed on what he would say to anybody doubting City's chances, Dias replied: "Please doubt us."