Premier League: Liverpool look to beat international break slump ahead of hardest run of the season
Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch stands dejected after the Premier League defeat at Anfield to Nottingham Forest. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
One of the big concerns for followers of clubs in the Premier League is how their sides and players will perform after returning from an international break.
No sooner than a side has built up a head of steam with a well working system of players enacting their manager’s tactics to create an effective winning run, when all of a sudden, the cohesion is blown apart as the individual parts are scattered to the four corners of the globe for that ‘vital encounter’ against Kazakhstan.
One side seems to have a more than average adverse reaction to the international break over the years. And with a particularly tough run of games to come cannot really afford to have their usual reaction, post playing with their countrymen.
This side is Liverpool, who despite heading the Premier League table at this stage, and overall having a very an impressive start to the season and even more impressive start to Arne Slot’s managerial tenure, have had one blip on the record and that was their single defeat this season at the hands of Nottingham Forest back on September 14. Just after the players returned from the first international break of the season.
A team who, up to that point, had been impressive and confident in their play and victories returned for their national duties listless and uncoordinated. That it happened at Anfield against a side that has not won at the venue since 1969 threatened to terminate the Slot honeymoon period with an unexpected defeat to say the least. Thankfully for the Liverpool faithful, the Slot ship was steered back on course and they proceeded to win the next six games domestically and in Europe, on a scoring aggregate of 16 for to two goals conceded.
Yet looking at results, how badly affected are Liverpool by international breaks? The answer is like most things mixed.
It might be a surprise, but Liverpool have only lost five of the last 31 post international games and drew eight. As a whole, Liverpool have probably been put at more of a disadvantage by having to play so many 12.30pm games on Saturday rather than the traditional 3pm kick-off or Sunday match, especially after European midweeks games.
The Merseysiders playing twice as many early Saturday games (in the Klopp 2016 to Slot eras) the nearest comparable side. 13 compared to the six played early starts by Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal and Man United only playing five and four for all the rest.
It has resulted in four defeats from all of those 13 games. Mind you, the detriment of these early starts and international returns may be more telling when put into the context of trying to recover over the entire season. And that is the concern now for the Reds. Good start and international/early games aside, Liverpool are facing into an unenviable run of games starting with their match tomorrow in the league at home to a Chelsea side that has finally found its form. Followed by league matches against Arsenal, Brighton, Aston Villa, Southampton, Champions Man City followed by Newcastle and the Liverpool derby with Everton by early December.
Then throw in, over the month-long period, Champions League games with RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, and Real Madrid, and then a Carabao Cup game again against Brighton, and you have an idea why Liverpool fans and management were uncomfortable to see their stars depart for international duties with all the associated risks of injury and exhaustion.
In their favour, Virgil van Dijk was back a week early after being sent off in the game against Hungary. While Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Caoimhin Kelleher, Kostas Tsimikas, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo all concluded their international commitments by Monday night, all with clear bills of health.
Liverpool fans hoping that Kelleher’s late gaffe for Ireland against Greece has got his errors out of his system as he steps up to fill the gloves for the injured Allison once again.
The concern for Liverpool now is the fate of their non-European players, with concerns about Mohamed Salah, who was returned early by Egypt after a picking up a knock against Mauritania.
In South America, Alexis Mac Allister started for Argentina against Bolivia on Wednesday despite being taken off by Liverpool the previous weekend against Crystal Palace as a precaution. That he played in a rather unnecessary game while still an injury doubt may well displease Liverpool’s management.
As for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez they appear to have got through their game with Colombia and Uruguay without injury and now making a recovery from their travels being the only issue.
Big matches ahead for the title pretenders and Liverpool will hope their players will return invigorated for the challenge rather than exhausted by their travels. At least they're playing on a Sunday this time.
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