Liverpool defeats West Ham 5-2: Reviving with set-pieces

When referring to the master of set-piece scenarios in the Premier League, many minds instantly recall Arsenal. The events since the start of the year highlight another side skilled in dead-ball situations, precisely Liverpool.

There is no mistake at all, as 3 of the 5 goals in last weekend's 5-2 victory over West Ham came from corner kicks. This not only marks the first time since 2016 that a team has scored 3 goals from corners within just the first 45 minutes. It represents a powerful transformation that left Arne Slot astonished.

From worst to best in set-pieces

Late last year, the Dutch manager still complained about the imbalance in Liverpool's set-piece situations. Until the end of last December, his team had only scored 3 goals from set-pieces, the lowest among Premier League sides. Conversely, Liverpool conceded 12 goals from dead-ball situations, the worst figure in the Premier League. It took just the first two months of this year for the situation to reverse. Including the hat-trick of goals from corners, Liverpool has now netted 9 times from set-pieces, more than any other Premier League team. The number of goals conceded has dropped to just 3, including one in the recent win over West Ham.

Slot explained the secret behind this positive shift after the match: "We performed better after conceding from set-pieces. Because everything returned to normal. We created many chances from set-pieces in the first half of this season (but didn't score) and conceded several goals from opponents' free-kicks. But at this point, we've started scoring from set-piece situations, and everything is gradually improving." Maximizing efficiency from set-pieces is a factor helping Liverpool regain their standing in the race for a Champions League spot. Slot's team has won 7 of their last 9 matches across all competitions. From being outside the Top 5 race, Liverpool is now competing on equal footing with Manchester United and Chelsea.

A correct decision at the end of last year

But to look deeper into Liverpool's shift from worst to best in set-piece situations, one must mention a decision that received little attention yet had a positive impact at Anfield: The dismissal of Aaron Briggs, the set-piece coach. That decision occurred on December 30th of last year.

Briggs played a significant role in helping Liverpool win the Premier League last season by advising Slot on adapting to the demands of England's top flight. He was formerly an analyst at Manchester City. Briggs joined Slot's coaching staff in July 2024 as a first-team development coach. Just two months later, he was appointed as the dedicated set-piece specialist at Anfield after Liverpool failed to find a suitable candidate despite a widespread recruitment search.

Slot had reason to feel a change in his coaching staff was necessary to address the set-piece imbalance even before the new year: "If you look at what happened in the first half of this season, I'm not surprised by the team's position. When you exclude set-piece situations, everything is very different, and Liverpool should have gained 5 to 6 more points." Surprisingly, instead of desperately seeking a replacement for Briggs, the task of improving set-pieces at Anfield was distributed among the remaining members of Slot's coaching staff, including assistants Spike Hulshoff and Giovani van Bronckhorst. The Dutch manager himself also participated in reorganizing personnel and the structure of set-piece routines for Liverpool. The three goals from corner kicks against West Ham were executed in different ways. Specifically, Van Dijk's goal from Szoboszlai's corner was clearly a product of many hours on the training ground to achieve the necessary coordination. The other two goals, though somewhat fortunate, both originated from corner kicks.

Although reviving the set-piece weapon is too late for Liverpool to cling to hopes of defending the Premier League title, it could become the key for Slot and his team to salvage this season.