Get FRESH for the weekend

ROTATION COULD BE KEY TO TAKING TITLE WITH EASE

- IAN DOYLE

THE talk of fatigue is in danger of becoming tiresome for Liverpool.

But are weary legs and minds becoming a factor in their Premier League title challenge? It's a question worth asking after the Reds' 26-game unbeaten league run - the fourth-longest in the club's history was brought to a halt in disappointing fashion against Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

Given Liverpool remain a whopping 11 points clear of Arsenal at the Premier League summit a further 11 points over the final seven games will seal a record-breaking 20th championship - the 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage doesn't represent anything like a terminal blow to the ambitions of Arne Slot's side.

But it did prompt further discourse over the lack of rotation in the Liverpool starting line-up with Slot having remained loyal to a core of players throughout the top-flight campaign.

The Reds boss later insisted tiredness was not an issue with his squad, pointing to the manner in which they negotiated two games a week in progressing in the Champions League and League Cup earlier in the campaign.

The evidence of late, though, suggests it has become a slight problem.

After all, the last two times Liverpool have played in midweek, they have responded the following weekend with a weak, lacklustre first-half showing that left them too much ground to make up after the interval.