A look at how Liverpool does immediately after the international break

After crashing out of the FA Cup via a brutal quarterfinal loss to Manchester United, it's clear that Liverpool's weary legs need a break. Luckily, that's exactly what they're getting- an international break, as the club won't play any matches for two weeks.

Of course, plenty of Reds are major contributors for their countries, but some will take a step back, like Mo Salah as he continues his recovery from injury.

Having players called up for national team duty while balancing multiple club competitions isn't a new development for Klopp's side, so how exactly have they handled it in the past? Have they been revitalized by the time apart, or has the squad generally lost its edge?

Overall, coming into this season, Klopp's Reds had played 30 matches on the heels of international breaks; 19 wins, eight draws, and just three losses. The question is whether or not that record, a ratio of 2.17 points per match, stacks up favorably with Klopp's general standard at the club.

The answer might surprise you; there's virtually no difference. In Premier League competition alone, a sample size of well over 300 matches, Klopp's Liverpool has averaged 2.12 points per match.

That's a touch below the post-break pace, but not a meaningful difference in the scheme of things. It appears that Klopp is able to get his teams refocused and locked in right away.

Things haven't been as rosy after breaks more recently, with a couple of those rare losses in the 2022-23 campaign, but both were to Manchester City, far from an average opponent. Refreshed or not, that is never an easy matchup.

The bottom line is that it really differs on a case-to-case basis; sometimes, the team needs a break, while other times, the only thing the time off can do is squash positive momentum. The good news is that after the crushing defeat to United, we can safely assume that it's the former in this case.