With his media dealings conducted for the evening, Virgil van Dijk skipped off towards the Anfield exit in the knowledge that his two-day break was about to begin. The Liverpool skipper, as he always does, had spoken to a handful of reporters after Wednesday night's 2-0 win over Newcastle United, which was the end of a punishing 15-day, five-game stretch that had the potential to make or break the Reds' campaign.

And as it turned out, it was very much a run that has made the season, with the league leaders now 13 points clear of a jaded Arsenal side who are without key men and attacking ideas.

"Holidays!? Wow!" Van Dijk said when it was put to him that he might get to enjoy some rare downtime at an otherwise critical period of the campaign. "We have two days off and then our full focus [is back on work]."

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Having played three times a week for a fortnight straight, the couple of days of family time will be much needed for the squad as a whole, as they recharge the batteries after such a sapping run.

And with a week between games now, there will be no excuses about burnout having come through a run of games against Everton, Wolves, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle with 11 points from 15.

It's been a haul that now affords them a huge amount of breathing space in the race for the title and the type of gap that could even see a striker-less, injury-hit Arsenal accept that their own ambitions are now out of reach, even if only privately.

Having picked up just two points from their last two games while seeing their rivals see off Manchester City and Newcastle in such style, it's difficult to overstate just how important these last few days may come to be viewed when the final whistle blows.

Arne Slot has demanded a lot of his players with seven players starting all five in Van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah. Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold also started four of them.

The full use of the squad has not been called for by Slot, which is why this time away from the rigours of a match-day will be invaluable, particularly for midfield unit of Mac Allister, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, who get through so much work in the engine room.

Traditionalists will sneer but this is the tangible benefit to going out of the FA Cup so early and while the defeat to Championship strugglers Plymouth Argyle was an embarrassing episode and a season nadir, there has at least been something positive to take from the 1-0 loss at Home Park.

Slot understandably cut a dejected figure in Devon in the aftermath of that defeat but the blow will have been cushioned considerably by the easing up of an intense schedule.

As a result, it means the Reds only have to focus on the Carabao Cup final, against Newcastle on March 16, before they can train their gaze to the two major tournaments that are really in their sight in the Premier League and Champions League.

A full week away from the glare of game-day will be exactly what is needed for Liverpool right now to come flying out the traps once more on the other side of this weekend. The FA Cup can wait a year, there are bigger fish to fry this season at Anfield.