PL woes in Europe is about more than intense "schedule"
Yet Rice has played 10 hours more than Kane.
“The schedule takes the hell out of you.” So says Mikel Arteta in explaining Arsenal limping into the semi-finals of the Champions League amidst a draining English season with its demanding Premier League and two cup competitions. He spoke proudly of Arsenal advancing as the sole English side but also highlighted the issues. But how seriously should we take Arteta’s argument?
The Champions League schedule was actually kind to Arsenal. Arteta’s Premier League leaders got drawn on a route to the last four via Bayer Leverkusen, fifth in the Bundesliga, and Sporting Lisbon, second in Portugal’s Primeira Liga (and a Portuguese side have not been champions of Europe since Jose Mourinho’s Porto in 2004). Arsenal now face the far greater threat of Atletico Madrid, who won at Barcelona in their quarter-final. When it comes to schedules on the table, Diego Simeone can point to playing 51 games already this season, only three fewer than Arsenal.
Arsenal’s schedule should be less draining as they spend plenty of the game focused on well-rehearsed set-pieces. There’s a lot of hanging around. Maybe they are drained because their football isn’t uplifting, certainly nothing like the exhilarating tie between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid with 73 efforts on goal and 10 goals over the two legs.
Maybe if Arteta released the handbrake at times, Arsenal would feel freer and less drained. It’s more than “schedule”. It’s about managerial mindset. Look at how Paris St-Germain, Liverpool’s nemesis, play under Luis Enrique, the reigning Coach of the Year in the Ballon d’Or. Front foot.
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The Premier League doesn’t have the best players; they are scattered around the Continental elite. Bayern have Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz (all ex-PL). The ousted, outraged Real boast Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. Atletico have Julian Alvarez (ex-PL). Barcelona, beaten by Atletico, have the joyous Lamine Yamal and the unfortunately injured Raphinha. PSG have Ousmane Dembele, Kvicha Kvaretskhelia and Vitinha.
Superstars in the Premier League? Erling Haaland, certainly, even the moody Bruno Fernandes. Mo Salah until this season. In Ballon d’Or voting last year, I had only one Premier League-based player in my top 10 – Salah (fourth) behind Dembele, Yamal and Vitinha. Maybe the elite players look at the English “schedule” and prefer the Continent. The money is the same at their level.
The Premier League can boast the best marketing and best intensity of competition, and the latter is where Arteta’s “schedule” point rings most true. Kane benefits from a winter break. Declan Rice doesn’t. The midfielder is Arteta’s most important player and captained the side against Sporting. Rice has contested 2,675 minutes of Premier League football this season. That’s 10 hours more than Kane. And that’s only one of the numbers thrown up this week.