Liverpool is just two points behind the leaders of the premier league table with just half the season gone. Arsenal had a chance to reclaim control when it faced west ham on thursday night, but the reds were defeated 2-0 in the end, leaving them in last place. Jürgen klopp said recently that he isn’t able to attend the title race until april (via nbc sports), and that his primary emotion at this point may be relief. His team will finish december in command, describing it as the “hardest month ever” in english football (via lfc). In an attempt to reduce fixture congestion, the premier league rescheduled a series of games during the festive season. Whereas teams used to play three times between boxing day and the first few days of the new year, now they only play twice. Despite this positive development, the december schedule is still daunting.
Liverpool has had to tackle eight matches in the first three full months of the season (september, october, and november), having played either five or six games. Six of them have been in the premier league, while the reds have also finished their europa league group-stage campaign and thrashed west ham in a carabao cup quarterfinal. It’s worth remembering that some of liverpool’s international squad would have played eight games a month during the autumn, but now it’s the whole squad. Although the 1-1 draw with arsenal ended in a bitter defeat, many would see it as a missed opportunity, liverpool should be proud of its five victories and two draws record, particularly because the only defeat came in a dead-rubber european match against union sg. Klopp’s biggest problem, and one that he may have feared when looking at the calendar, is injury.
Liverpool lost jol matip to a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury against fulham, alexis macallister to a knee injury at sheffield united, and kostas tsimikas to a fractured collarbone at home against arsenal. Ryan gravenberch and luis daz were also scared by the gunners, but they were both able to play against burnley on boxing day. Given that mac allister was on the end of a gustavo hamer tackle that could have happened in any game, the relationship between the schedule and the injuries seems to be thin, and tsimikas landed awkwardly after a rather standard foul from bukayo saka. Only matip may have succumbed to an excessive load. Klopp will be ecstatic to see his team get a rare rest in january.
This is the first ‘normal’ season since 2019, with the schedule unaffected by either the pandemic or the world cup, and it has allowed the premier league to extend the winter break. Liverpool will not be playing in the carabao cup semifinals against fulham on january 10 and the league trip to bournemouth on january 21. This gives you a valuable way to tackle rising fatigue levels without worrying about international football. Klopp will be hoping that his players will reap the rewards throughout the second half of the season.
