Anthony Gordon: Premier League players most fatigued at summer tournaments

Anthony Gordon has said Premier League players are destined to come into summer tournaments more fatigued than any other league.

The inquest into England's painful World Cup semifinal defeat to Argentina continues, with focus on their energy-sapping style of football and inability to keep the ball in the same way that Spain can.

Boss Tuchel said fatigue played a part in their capitulation, coming on the back of extra time in their quarterfinal win against Norway in Miami heat and emotionally-draining victories against Congo DR and Mexico.

Gordon says those playing in the relentlessness of the Premier League are at a disadvantage at the back end of tournaments.

"I think that would probably be a fact," he said. "I don't know the stats, but I think for sure because in England, I'm not saying there is an easy game in any other leagues, but every game is as hard as the next.

"Playing Arsenal is the same as playing a newly-promoted side. That's the difficulty of the Premier League. Every game is so intense. Anyone can win a game.

"I mean, I think Hull, a newly-promoted team, were unbeaten until they played Newcastle.

"So that shows the strength of the Premier League, the strength of the English game, and I think for the English players playing in the Premier League, it would be a lot tougher on the body than players elsewhere."

Gordon's substitution in the semifinal remains a big talking point -- he was withdrawn 16 minutes after putting his side 1-0 up and replaced by a defender.

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The game quickly unravelled after that and Gordon said that match needed a lot of unpacking in his personal diary afterwards.

"It was more than one page, I can tell you that," he added. "Maybe not consistently, but I always like to write things down. It just makes you feel more clear.

"I think everyone does that in a different way. Some people use laptops, or some people don't like to do anything.

"My version of that has always been just to write it down, and I kind of like it because I can look back on it and pass it on to my kids.

"But the Argentina game was probably the most memorable one I've had because I didn't really know what to write. I wrote down just pure emotion of what I felt.

"Obviously, I won't go into those details, but it was it was a good few pages, I can tell you."