Liverpool manager Arne Slot says it’s too early to be “jumping to conclusions” about why Premier League clubs struggled in the Champions League this week, whereas Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola insisted the English top-flight was an “incredible league”.
None of the six English sides managed to win the primary legs of their last-16 ties, with the Reds being overwhelmed 1-0 at Galatasaray.
Arsenal drew 1-1 at Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United held Barcelona at residence by the identical rating, Chelsea and Tottenham each misplaced 5-2 at Paris St-Germain and Atletico Madrid respectively, and Manchester City had been on the top of a 3-0 defeat at Real Madrid.
“To jump to a conclusion after one gameday, I think that’s such a small sample size, that’s never the smartest thing to do,” stated Slot. “Maybe, after next week, we will have a completely different conclusion.
“In basic, it is not useful for English clubs to not have a winter break. I’m not saying all these groups misplaced as a result of we do not have a winter break.
“Why [the lack of victories]? Because you are facing, in the last 16 of Europe, some very good teams. And, four of the five [other] teams in the Champions League played away from home.
“That’s often a bonus to play at residence or a drawback to play away. To soar to conclusions – [whether it is] lacking a winter break, [or that] the extent of the Premier League will not be as excessive as we anticipated it to be – that will be, for me at this second of time, not the suitable conclusion to make.”
