Man City handed Premier League boost that Liverpool couldn’t avoid
Liverpool have lost key players at the start of 2024, like a number of Premier League clubs, but not Manchester City
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 25: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool talking with Pep Guardiola manager of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool FC at Etihad Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool are one of a number of Premier League sides to have been stung by the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup this month.
After defeating Newcastle United on New Years’ Day, the Reds waved off Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo as they prepare to compete for Egypt and Japan in the respective continental competitions.
“I said if I wish you good luck it would be a lie (laughs)!” Jurgen Klopp joked to reporters on Friday when discussing the absence of the pair. “No, I do obviously (wish them luck), but from a personal point of view I would be overly happy if they go out in the group stages but it is probably not possible.
“It’s fine, they can go and win it as well. So good luck, see you and come back healthy. That’s pretty much the words.”
The Asian Cup gets underway on Friday (January 12), with the Africa Cup of Nations following suit on Saturday (January 13) Their respective finals take place on Saturday 10 and Sunday, February 11.
Should Japan or Egypt reach either final, with both nations among the favourites for their respective tournaments, then Endo and Salah would be missing for Liverpool for at least eight matches after their team-mates progressed to the FA Cup fourth round with a magnificent 2-0 triumph at Arsenal on Sunday.
Realistically, the pair will miss at least four games. Starting with yesterday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal, the League Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham and Premier League trip to AFC Bournemouth both fall during the continental tournaments’ group-stages.
Meanwhile, Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage for the second leg of their semi-final with Fulham on Wednesday, January 24. Egypt’s final group game falls against Cape Verde on the night of Monday, January 23, while Japan takes on Indonesia on Wednesday, January 24.
Consequently, either player could technically return for the yet-to-be-decided FA Cup fourth-round tie over the weekend of January 27-8 or the Premier League visit of Chelsea to Anfield on Wednesday, January 31 if their nation suffered a shock group-stage exit. If not, participation in the round-of-16 overlaps that clash with the Londoners.
With the quarter-finals in both tournaments taking place on Friday 2 and Saturday, February 3, participation would likely rule out either player from travelling to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, February 4.
Should Endo and Japan reach the Asian Cup final, he will also miss the Reds’ home clash with Burnley on Saturday, February 10. Meanwhile, with the Africa Cup of Nations boasting a third place play-off, progression to the semi-finals for Egypt would ensure Salah also be absent against the Clarets.
Admittedly, it is not ideal for Klopp’s men considering the pair depart with Liverpool top of the Premier League and with one eye on a potential League Cup final. At least the German is confident his side can cope well enough without the duo, having seen their temporary departures coming well in advance.
Such progression in the League Cup also ensures that Endo and Salah are likely to miss more action than the majority of rival Premier League players. But that does not mean the Reds squad has been hit hardest.
Nottingham Forest will be without the most players in the English top-flight with six members of Nuno’s departing for the two continental competitions. Brentford and Wolves lose the services of four players, while Fulham are set to be without Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Fode Ballo-Toure when they take on Liverpool in the League Cup semi-finals. Tottenham Hotspur have also waved off three stars.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have seen Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny depart, while Bournemouth will be without Dango Ouattara and Antoine Semenyo when they host Klopp’s side later this month. The Reds, Gunners and Cherries are three of seven Premier League sides to be left without two of their players.
Elsewhere, Nicholas Jackson is Chelsea’s solitary departee with the Londoners one of five clubs to wave off a single star.
Yet three clubs will not lose any players to mid-season international exploits over the next month – Burnley, Manchester City, and Newcastle United. The Clarets will only play five times during the duration of the tournament after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Tottenham at the third round-stage on Friday, while the Magpies are due to take to the field for a sixth time after defeating Sunderland to reach the fourth round on Saturday. City, too, have progressed, after sweeping aside Huddersfield Town 5-0 on Sunday.
And in the case of City especially, the lack of mid-season international absentees is a certain boost as they look to make up ground on Liverpool in the Premier League title race. Currently boasting a game in hand following their participation in last month’s FIFA Club World Cup, they sit currently third in the table and are five points behind the Reds.
In a curious quirk of the Premier League fixture list, their next two outings actually come against the two sides who also haven’t lost players to AFCON or Asian Cup duty. They travel to Newcastle on Saturday, January 13 before hosting Burnley on Wednesday, January 31.
City then travel to Brentford on Monday, February 5, before hosting Everton in the early kick-off on Saturday, February 10, the same weekend of the respective international tournaments’ finals.
Having won six of their seven matches, drawing the other, when without the services of players due to African Cup of Nations duty back in 2022, Klopp will be hopeful that his side are capable of coping just as sufficiently without Salah and Endo this time around.
Admittedly, league meetings with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal without the pair are perhaps more intimidating than when facing Brentford, Crystal Palace and Leicester City two years ago.
And with Liverpool a side who have missed out on the Premier League title by a solitary point to Man City on two separate occasions in recent years, the Reds are well aware how much the small margins can make a difference.
Having not been stung by international exploits, Guardiola’s ranks have been handed a boost in contrast to their fiercest title rivals. Klopp will be left hoping it doesn’t prove decisive come May.
This is life-changing money for teams lower down the football pyramid
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Highlights
The inclusion of non-league teams in the FA Cup is a special and cherished tradition in English football, allowing smaller clubs to compete against big-name teams.
Making it to the later stages of the tournament can have huge financial implications for non-league clubs, with each round they surpass bringing in money that can change the trajectory of the club.
Maidstone United, a non-league team, has achieved a historic run in the FA Cup, reaching the fourth round for the first time in their history. They have already earned an incredible amount of money, which will greatly benefit the club’s future.
The FA Cup is one of the most celebrated and respected cup competitions in all of football. It’s a wonderful tradition in England and one that’s brought some incredible moments over the years. From some of the truly great teams to have got their hands on the trophy, to the electric finals and absurd moments, to some of the biggest upsets we’ve ever seen, there’s a reason the competition is so special and cherished to the level it is.
One particular reason it means so much to football fans is the inclusion of non-league teams. It’s the rare occasion that teams further down the football pyramid have a chance to compete against some of the biggest names in the sport. We’ve seen numerous sides do so in the past, with Havant & Waterlooville famously taking the lead twice against Liverpool back in 2008 and Luton Town becoming the first non-league side to eliminate top-flight opposition since 1989 when they beat Norwich City in 2013.
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Related
Patrick Bamford scored a worldie, Liverpool somehow beat Arsenal and Newcastle cruised past rivals Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup.
Getting to those latter stages in the tournament can be massive for a non-league club. Not just for the experience and the pure spectacle of seeing their side face off against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, but the financial implications as well. You see, teams are given money for each round they surpass in the FA Cup and while it might not be considered much to the biggest sides in the country, it’s the sort of income that could change the trajectory of a non-league side completely.
With Maidstone United recently causing a big upset and knocking League One side Stevenage Town out in the third round, the National League South team is set to make an absolute fortune by their standards, but just how much money do teams get for winning each round?
FA Cup qualifying rounds prize money
Around £23k can be won by making it through the qualifiers
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The lowest-ranked teams in the entire FA Cup will have to fight their way through six qualifying games if they’re to make it to the proper tournament. The extra preliminary round is the very first stage, with 208 teams entering the draw at that time. Just taking part in the qualifiers has its benefits for the lower-ranked teams as they gain money whether they win their game or lose it at this stage. Winning the extra preliminary round pockets clubs £1,125 while losing it still sees them earn £375.
The next round, the preliminary round, sees the teams who win and progress pick up another £1,444, while those eliminated at this stage still get £481. We’re into the actual qualifying stages now, and the victors of the first round qualifying win £2,250, while the losers take home £750 as they exit the competition. The second round qualifying winners land £3,375, and even the losers win more than a grand this time, gaining £1,125 for their troubles. The third round qualifying sees things continue to heat up and if a side has made it all the way to this stage, they’ve already made some nice cash for their level. The winners at this stage will win £5,625, while the losers still earn £1,875.
The final qualifying round of the FA Cup is a huge one. Teams that win will not only make it to the actual FA Cup tournament, where they stand a chance of facing significantly higher opposition, but they’ll also win another £9,325. Falling at the final hurdle isn’t nice for any team, but the £3125 that the losers still win at this stage sure makes things a little easier to stomach. All in all, if you started at the very earliest stage of the tournament, and you’ve made it to the FA Cup proper, you’ve already earned £23,194.
FA Cup prize money 2023/24
Qualifying round
Prize money
Extra preliminary round winner
£1,125
Extra preliminary round loser
£375
Preliminary round winner
£1,444
Preliminary round loser
£481
First round qualifying winners
£2,250
First round qualifying losers
£750
Second round qualifying winners
£3,375
Second round qualifying losers
£1,125
Third round qualifying winners
£5,625
Third round qualifying losers
£1,875
Fourth round qualifying winners
£9,375
Fourth round qualifying losers
£3,125
Figures per The FA.
Not bad at all. Now we’re getting to the serious money…
FA Cup prize money – First round onwards
Potential £4m to be won through each stage of the competition
Erling Haaland with the FA Cup trophy
The FA Cup proper is where the big money starts coming into play. Any single win at this stage changes things drastically for a non-league side. Winning the first round alone pockets you £40,000. This is the sort of money that some clubs down at that level spend in a year. 40 teams enter the draw at this stage, with League One and League Two teams also joining the fold.
The second round sees Championship teams also added to the mix and the rise in the quality of opponents also sees the prize money jump. Winning the second round earns a club another £67,000. That’s right, just winning the first two FA Cup games will pocket a team over £100,000. Mental money for non-league sides. The third round is where things really get interesting. The Premier League shows up and a meeting with one of the biggest teams in the country, and maybe even the world, like Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea is potentially on the cards.
At this stage, facing one of the biggest clubs at their stadium is the best bet for non-league teams, with the financial implications of taking home half of their ticket sales from the match very, very lucrative. Progressing in the tournament isn’t a bad shout either, though, with £105,000 up for grabs if a team makes it past the third round. The fourth-round winners will take home another £120,000, and if a club makes it past the fifth, they’ll win £225,000.
In the quarter-finals, the possibility of actually winning the whole thing is likely on the minds of anyone involved, but even just getting beyond that stage is enough to pocket another £450,000. It will also, by default, grant you at least another £500,000 as the losers of the semi-finals are guaranteed half a million pounds, while the winners, who book a trip to Wembley will win another £1m. The winners of the overall tournament will take home £2m, alongside the joy and pride of lifting the trophy, but the runner-up won’t be too hard one by as they’ll also be handed another £1m just for making it to that stage. From the start of the first round to the end of the final, there’s a potential £4m to be won for a side that made it all the way through.
FA Cup prize money 2023/24
FA Cup stage
Prize money
First round proper winners
£41,000
Second round proper winners
£67,000
Third round proper winners
£105,000
Fourth round proper winners
£120,000
Fifth round proper winners
£225,000
Quarter-final winners
£450,000
Semi-final losers
£500,000
Semi-final winners
£1m
Final runners-up
£1m
Final winners
£2m
Figures per The FA.
Considering the entire field of teams that play in the first round is lower down the football pyramid, achieving something like this would be massive and incredibly hard, but Maidstone are still in with a chance,
Mega-money for Maidstone
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Underdog stories are what makes the FA Cup so special and Maidstone are this year’s fairytale. The National League South team has had a stellar competition so far. They came into the competition in the second qualifying round and have made it all the way to the fourth round of the FA Cup proper so far.
Most notably, they dispatched of League One side Stevenage in the third round, a team playing three divisions above them. The win was a historic one as it saw the club reach the fourth round for the first time in their entire history and the memories they’ll have made from the iconic victory will live long in the minds of personnel related to the club and fans alike for a very long time.
An added bonus to the achievement, though, is just how much money Maidstone has made from their cup antics so far. A team in the National League South has very limited resources and, more often than not, isn’t even full-time. The money they make is nowhere near the level of the EFL, so the cash that the team has earned throughout the FA Cup will change their lives.
Having entered the tournament in the second qualifying round and have made it to the fourth round so far, Maidstone have already earned a total of £231,375. Almost a quarter of a million pounds. That’s insane for a club of their level and will go a long way into helping run the club in the foreseeable future. Whether they use it to upgrade facilities within the team, or even focus on adding top talent to the side on wages they previously couldn’t afford, they’ll no doubt have a fantastic time spending the money, and they’ve more than certainly earned it.
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They might not even be finished yet. The furthest a non-league side has ever got in the FA Cup is the quarter-finals after Lincoln City reached that stage in 2017. Maidstone still have a chance of matching or even breaking that record and, considering how the Imps have shot up the football pyramid a
fter their incredible run seven years ago, the National League South side will feel there’s no reason they can’t channel their historic achievement, and the money they make as a result, into something similar.
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