Liverpool’s pre-season plans see Arne Slot‘s side pitted against four different clubs on two different continents, but how does it compare to their Premier League rivals?
Summer plans can take on a myriad of forms, from a focus on training camps to overseas tours and a handful of friendlies.
For Liverpool, they have four fixtures confirmed ahead of their Premier League opener at Ipswich, while Aston Villa have seven locked in, for example.
It is far from a smooth pre-season for Slot, with international tournaments robbing him of more than 10 players for much of his summer programme.
He will take the squad to the United States for three games before a return to Anfield, a schedule that is far from overwhelming – unlike some of Liverpool’s league rivals.
Liverpool’s pre-season fixtures
- July 26 – Real Betis – Pittsburgh
- July 31 – Arsenal – Philadelphia
- August 3 – Man United – South Carolina
- August 11 – Sevilla – Anfield
Chelsea, for example, have six pre-season games planned and five of them take place in different cities across the US – they will be continually on the move with an average of three days between matches.
Tottenham are just as busy, with six friendlies, three of which take them to Japan at the end of July – adding to the miles the squad ate up on a post-season trip to Australia.
Arsenal have five in the books – which includes a clash against Slot’s side – as do Crystal Palace, Man United and Newcastle.
Rivals Man City are taking in four, just like Liverpool, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves.
Clearly, four friendlies is a popular choice!
But just as those who have a busy schedule catch the eye, so do those with few lined up, and that includes newly-promoted Leicester (three) and Ipswich (two).
Though Fulham take the prize for having only one game in the books, scheduled for August 10, but the expectation is they will add more soon – one would hope so, anyway!
What does Slot make of it?
With only 44 days from the start of pre-season until the league kicks off at Ipswich, Slot is aware that he will have time to extend preparations into the campaign.
He told reporters on Friday: “The good thing is after the first game we have a few normal (free) weeks so pre-season can continue into the pre-season.
“Not in the way of results – don’t get me wrong it’s not an excuse to not win the first ones – but there is some training time afterwards.
“Ideally I would have started in a season when there were no Euros and no Copa America but that’s not the situation and you have to take it the way it is.”
