Antonio Conte Complains Again About Chelsea vs Liverpool Premier League Schedule

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has hit out at the Premier League's scheduling after his side's 4-0 win over Qarabag in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. 

The Blues were in action on Wednesday night and will take on Liverpool on Saturday evening in the Premier League. Chelsea faced a five-and-a-half-hour flight back from Azerbaijan following the contest, and Conte confirmed the team has had to put in preparation for their upcoming match on the way home.

"We have to work during the flight to prepare for the game against Liverpool," he said, per Dominic Fifield of the Guardian.

It's not the first time the Italian has expressed a dissatisfaction with the matchday scheduling, having complained when the Blues faced a similar turnaround after a trip to Atletico Madrid. They went on to lose 1-0 to Manchester City in the Saturday evening slot.

"To have only one day to rest and prepare for such a big game is not easy," Conte said. "… There are six top teams who try to fight for the title. To create, for the second time in only one-and-a-half months, problems for one team is not right. Someone has to help us to underline this strange situation."

While he may lament the fixture pileup, Conte can at least be content with the form his side have showcased on the cusp of their visit to Merseyside. 101 Great Goals put the improved results down to the manager's new look:

"

Since Antonio Conte started growing his beard

✅ West Brom 0 - Chelsea 4
✅ Qarabag 0 - Chelsea 4 pic.twitter.com/9UXShPVraS

— 101 Great Goals (@101greatgoals) November 22, 2017"

Still, there will be concern for the coach that his team will be fatigued for this fixture, especially up against one of the division's most energetic and aggressive teams in Liverpool.

Against City early on, the clash was relatively even, before the Blues were noticeably worn down in the second half and eventually beaten by Pep Guardiola's side at Stamford Bridge. A trip to Anfield against this Liverpool XI requires an enormous amount of effort to be expended.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

While tactical planning in midair may not be ideal, the clash against Qarabag was straightforward for the Blues. The hosts lost a man early, allowing Chelsea to coast to victory.

As noted by OptaJoe, Chelsea have made qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League look routine in recent years:

In terms of effort exerted, you sense the week was a more draining one for Liverpool, who were involved in a pulsating game against Sevilla. The Reds will be physically and mentally jaded after letting a three-goal lead slip at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan to eventually draw 3-3.

Granted, Chelsea have travelled more and have had one day fewer to recover. Even so, if the Blues are to compete on multiple fronts this season, it's imperative they manage these turnarounds well. And should they slip up at the weekend, with Manchester City already nine points ahead, defending their title will be tricky.