Report: Will Liverpool take advantage of Manchester City burnout?

The Euros may have only just concluded, but us footy fans at ball-bonkers BettingOdds.com are already turning our eager eye to the forthcoming  Premier League season, and seeing how this superb summer will shape the sides for the English crown after the exhaustion of international European football. Simultaneously the  oldest international football competition has been running, where recognisable faces to the purveyors of the Premier League in the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Alisson, and Edinson Cavani have been plying their trade to try and win the illustrious Copa América.

Liverpool, the 2019/20 Premier League champions who finished 3rd in the English top tier last season, will have by far the freshest feet out of all the nearest contenders of last season’s top four to incumbent kings Manchester City. The Reds’ 10 participating international players have completed an accumulated 1966 minutes / 32.77 hours of football either side of the Atlantic this summer. Compare that to City’s benchmark 5579 minutes / 92.98 hours from their 15 jetsetters to have starred in both the Euros and Copa América. With 5 fewer footballers (- 45.71%),  32 fewer games (- 45.71%)  and 3613 minutes / 60.22 hours fewer (- 64.76%), Liverpool should roar into the new season without much need for relaxation.

However, historically, Liverpool contributed to the only instance of a team in the past decade to have failed to take advantage of the fatigue and exhaustion through lack of an off-season, when Manchester City won back-to-back titles either side of the 2018 World Cup, this despite Liverpool players playing 2600 minutes (- 57.83%) less in the tournament in Russia than the team that ultimately pipped them to the 2018/19 title.

The players considered must have played the full season after a summer tournament (i.e. the 2010/11 Premier League squad of each respective team following World Cup 2010). In 2016 and 2020 the data of Premier League players participating at the respective Copa América tournaments have also been considered.

The results of the study are provided in full through the following 2 categories:

• Involvement of 2020/21 Premier League Top 5 In 2021 Summer Tournaments In Comparison With Champions Manchester City;
• Involvement of Premier League Champions Preceding And Following Each Summer International Tournament Since 2010.

All figures used are from UEFA, Premier League, and WhoScored. Each participating nation’s strikeforce is based on the squad submitted to UEFA and CONMEBOL, where appropriate.

Involvement of 2020/21 Premier League Top 5 In 2021 Summer Tournaments In Comparison With Champions Manchester City

1. Manchester City (2020/21 Premier League Position: 1st)  

Players Competing: 15  Total Games: 70  Total Tournament Minutes / Hours: 5579 / 92.98 

Comparison To Incumbent Premier League Champions: N/A

2. Manchester United  (2020/21 Premier League Position: 2nd)  

Players Competing: 13  Total Games: 47  Total Tournament Minutes / Hours: 3480 / 58

Comparison To Incumbent Premier League Champions:

Difference in Players: -2 (13.33%)  Difference in Games: - 23 (- 32.86%)  Difference in Minutes/Hours: - 2099 / - 34.98 (- 37.62%)

3. Liverpool  (2020/21 Premier League Position: 3rd)  

Players Competing: 10  Total Games: 38  Total Tournament Minutes / Hours: 1966 / 32.77

Comparison To Incumbent Premier League Champions:

Difference in Players: - 3 (- 23.08%)  Difference in Games: - 32 (- 45.71%)  Difference in Minutes/Hours: - 3613 / - 60.22 (- 64.76%) 

4. Chelsea  (2020/21 Premier League Position: 4th)  

Players Competing: 16  Total Games: 54  Total Tournament Minutes / Hours: 4545 / 75.75

Comparison To Incumbent Premier League Champions:

Difference in Players: + 1 (+ 6.67%)  Difference in Games: - 16 (- 22.86%)  Difference in Minutes/Hours: - 1034 / - 17.23 (- 6.76%) 

5. Leicester City  (2020/21 Premier League Position: 5th)  

Players Competing: 6  Total Games: 18  Total Tournament Minutes / Hours: 1510 / 25.17

Comparison To Incumbent Premier League Champions:

Difference in Players: - 9 (- 60.00%)  Difference in Games: - 52 (- 74.29%)  Difference in Minutes/Hours: - 4069 / - 67.82 (- 72.93%) 

Involvement of Premier League Champions Preceding And Following Each Summer International Tournament Since 2010

1. World Cup 2010 (South Africa)  

Premier League Champion 2010: Chelsea  Players Competing: 12  Total Games: 36  Total Minutes: 2454

Premier League Champion 2011: Manchester United Players Competing: 5  Total Games: 12  Total Minutes: 1152

Player Difference Between Champions: - 7 (- 58.33%) Game Difference Between Champions: - 24 (- 66.67%) Minute Difference Between Champions: - 1302 (- 53.06%)

2. Euro 2012 (Poland & Ukraine) 

Premier League Champion 2012: Manchester City Players Competing: 7  Total Games: 21  Total Minutes: 2167 

Premier League Champion 2013: Manchester United Players Competing: 8  Total Games: 19  Total Minutes: 1749

Player Difference Between Champions: + 1 (+ 14.29%) Game Difference Between Champions: - 2 (- 9.52%) Minute Difference Between Champions: - 418 (- 19.29%)

3. World Cup 2014 (Brazil) 

Premier League Champion 2014: Manchester City Players Competing: 13  Total Games: 36  Total Minutes: 3121

Premier League Champion 2015: Chelsea Players Competing: 12  Total Games: 42  Total Minutes: 2983

Player Difference Between Champions: - 1 (- 7.69%) Game Difference Between Champions: + 6  (- 16.67%) Minute Difference Between Champions: - 138 (- 4.42%)

4. Euro 2016 (France) 

Premier League Champion 2016: Leicester City Players Competing: 4  Total Games: 12  Total Minutes: 791

Premier League Champion 2017: Chelsea Players Competing: 8  Total Games: 28  Total Minutes: 2097

Player Difference Between Champions: + 4  (+ 100%) Game Difference Between Champions: + 16 (+ 133.33%) Minute Difference Between Champions: + 1306 (+ 165.11%)

5. World Cup 2018 (Russia) 

Premier League Champion 2018: Manchester City Players Competing: 16  Total Games: 61  Total Minutes: 4496

Runner-up 2019*: Liverpool  Players Competing: 8  Total Games: 20  Total Minutes: 1896

Player Difference Between Runner-Up and Champion: - 8 (- 50%) Game Difference Between Runner-Up and Champion: - 41 (- 67.21%) Minute Difference Between Runner-Up and Champion: - 2600 (- 57.83%)

*Comparison used after Manchester City defended their title in the 2018/19 Premier League season