This weekend, Liverpool are gearing up for the infamous early kick-off following an international break; Jurgen Klopp’s squad have been granted this time slot with greater ease than any other team.

The Premier League resumes on Saturday, and for the first match of the weekend, the Etihad Stadium will host a midday encounter between the top two teams in the division.

Klopp has frequently expressed his displeasure with the designated kick-off time, especially when it immediately follows an international break.

This could be a banana skin due to the travel requirements of the international Reds, especially the South American contingent, but even in the absence of the international precursor, it can be a challenging one to negotiate.

Consequently, how have the Reds performed on Saturday mornings historically under the current manager?

Two victories and one loss resulted from Klopp’s four early kick-offs (held at 12:45 pm during that season) in his first season at the club. However, 2015/16 is generally regarded by club aeons as a transitional period.

Later, in Klopp’s first complete season at the club, the Reds matched the previous record by accumulating an identical number of points from an equivalent number of matches.

Notwithstanding Liverpool’s appearance in the Champions League final, this pattern deteriorated in 2017/18, as they managed a meager one victory out of eight contests during the Saturday midday period.

Perfect records were maintained in 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2021/22, with the exception of the covid-19 season, during which Liverpool won a mere one of their 12.30pm matches.

Early kick-offs characterized a particularly challenging season for the Reds in the previous year, when they went 0-6, with no victories.

The Merseyside derby, which was won 2-0 last month, followed a dramatic late victory over Wolves in September, which marked a modest improvement once more this season.

After this, Liverpool will have recorded a 39th early kick-off record with seven defeats, thirteen draws, and nineteenth victories since Klopp assumed leadership in October 2015.

This equates to an average of 1.8 points per game, which, considering the terrifying anecdotes we have encountered thus far, may be a bit better than most would predict.

Another 12.30pm matchup is scheduled for next month at Crystal Palace; however, we are relieved to report that there will be no international hiatus until March.

However, the most significant test of the season may occur on Saturday, when Manchester City hosts a contest that may have far-reaching consequences for the quest for the championship.

Liverpool, who have made a solid start to the Premier League season and are only one point behind Pep Guardiola’s squad, will have their credentials put to the test at the Etihad.

We can only hope that the Reds can prevail despite receiving yet another difficult hand following the international break.