3. The Premier League could do with a winter break
With five players pulling up with injuries in this game, there might be suggestions that a winter break would do the Premier League no harm. Branislav Ivanovic had to substituted early in the first half with a leg injury while Frank Lampard did not appear out of the dressing room in the second half due to a thigh injury and these forced changes allowed Liverpool to make a comeback in the second half. Samuel Eto’o too limped off in the second half and may have to be rested for their upcoming games.
Liverpool too weren’t without their casualties, with Joe Allen suffering a groin injury that required a tactical reshuffle owing to the lack of option sin midfield. Late in the game, Mamadou Sakho seemed to have pulled a hamstring that may well keep him out for a couple of weeks.
With the next round of fixtures just a couple of days away and the FA Cup third round to follow, expect more players to pull up with injuries. The luxury of enjoying football during the festive season seems to be coming at the cost of the health of the players, and maybe the FA need to consider a potential winter break for the Premier League as well.