13 January 2024 , 06:00
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Liverpool are enjoying a rare weekend off as Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League leaders watch on with interest at how a couple of their title rivals.
They are among the 10 teams to be sitting out the first half of “gameweek 21” as part of the January break permitted to the entire top flight.
Klopp’s side return to action away to Bournemouth on Sunday week, before the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final versus Fulham at Craven Cottage. And while most players will embrace the brief respite, the structure of the break is not unanimously popular.
All five games this weekend will be televised, starting with Burnley against Luton last night, and concluding with Manchester United hosting Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
Five more games - including Bournemouth v Liverpool - will be spread across next weekend, when the 10 sides in action this weekend enjoy their time off. And there will not be a single 3pm Saturday Premier League game across January as a result of the break.
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The break was first introduced in January 2020 - but scrapped from then until now on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and last year’s World Cup - and is intended to balance out the hectic Christmas schedule.
However, it remains unpopular with some managers, including Everton's Sean Dyche. The Toffees boss believes it is better to have a more even spread of fixtures - and it is of greater benefit to the big clubs.
“For me, I don’t see the point of it when you’ve just had as many games in December. It’s not that beneficial,” he said. “It would be better to lose one or two of these games [in December] and put them in there to spread it out. I think that’s a better scenario. With more games, the big clubs with big squads are bound to gain because of their big squads.
Liverpool players celebrate beating Arsenal - and protecting the length of their break (Getty Images)“But when you haven’t got a big squad like us and you get injuries, you’re bound to be stretched. If you put a couple of games in that break then it is more level across the season. I’ll be surprised if that break doesn’t disappear, just from the scheduling.”
Everton were one of seven Premier League clubs to have their breaks cut because of FA Cup replays scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
After Liverpool’s win against Arsenal, Klopp said it was “the biggest bonus ever” to not have an extra game. But Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson admitted their replay with Everton was “the last thing either of us wanted” and Brentford boss Thomas Frank said having to face Wolves again is “the worst outcome in every aspect.”