The first leg of the League Cup semi final takes place between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on Thursday night.
The first leg was already supposed to have been played by now. However, Liverpool successfully had the game postponed due to Covid-19 difficulties.
This has had an adverse effect on Arsenal, who now have the semi final, a North London Derby and a game against Burnley in the space of a week.
With both clubs ravaged by injuries and illness, it remains unclear what kind of teams they will be able to play for the League Cup semi final.
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It calls into question once again the wisdom of having a two-legged semi final for the League Cup. Both Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp have spoken this week about the need to change it to a single tie.
The semi final usually falls in January, just after the gruelling Christmas period. It is a challenge in normal circumstances. Add Covid-19 to the mix, and it is nearly impossible to play a high quality game in the tie.
Arsenal VS Liverpool should be a big game, an occasion. Instead it will likely be a lacklustre affair between two shadow teams.
To be fair, Jurgen Klopp hates this competition. He would dispense with it entirely if it were up to him.
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However in the current climate, it’s easy to empathise with his frustration. The thing is, the two-legged semi finals often result in quite entertaining and compelling ties.
Although as we saw in Chelsea VS Liverpool, it’s just as likely one of the teams will either throw the games away, or not have the capability to truly compete.
It was probably always too late to make the change in time for this season. However, moving forward the Premier League schedule is not going to ease up any time soon. There is little reason to persist with the current format.
