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As the evening wore on at the Stadium of Light, you could tell the Liverpool players were beginning to tire, and for good reason. Their high-tempo playing style, combined with a mentally and physically exhausting match against Top 4 rival Manchester City, and an incredibly brief rest all conspired to lead to a disappointing draw to bottom-dwellers Sunderland.
However, all of this did not prevent Adam Lallana from running a whopping 13.22 km last night, besting his previous 12.88 km outing against City less than 48 hours earlier. Crystal Palace’s Mathieu Flamini was third on the list, having run 12.67 km in the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
The two performances were good enough for the top two spots of all Premier League players over the busy two-game period. It is an impressive feat to say the least, even if he wasn’t rewarded for all that industry in the second match. I’m guessing the gaping hole left by Jordan Henderson’s absence played a part in Lallana’s additional effort in tracking back.
With League Two side Plymouth Argyle ahead on the schedule, Lallana and most (if not all) of the first team will likely get to enjoy a bit of rest following the brutal holiday schedule. Then it’s the first leg of the League Cup semifinal, and a visit to Manchester United. Oh boy.