Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confidently declared that the team's set-piece performance has returned to "normal" following a significant and dramatic improvement in recent weeks. The balance between goals conceded and scored from set-pieces had been a persistent and troubling problem for the club throughout this season, culminating in the dismissal of individual development coach Aaron Briggs in late December due to ongoing under-performance in his role.
Statistical Transformation After Coaching Change
Since Briggs' departure, the situation has improved markedly, though Slot was quick to clarify that this was not a direct reflection on the former coach. In the first 26 matches of the season, Liverpool conceded a concerning 13 goals from set-pieces while scoring only eight. However, in the subsequent 12 games following Briggs' exit, they have conceded just two goals from set-pieces, while maintaining their tally of eight scored.
"It would be very unfair to blame Aaron, who was partly responsible for that because, in the end, I'm responsible for everything," said the Dutch manager. "We've been in that period of time being so unlucky. We all knew that it couldn't go on like that because we hardly gave away a chance in set-pieces but every ball went in and we created multiple opportunities to score and the ball didn't go in."
Return to Expected Levels
"So that things go back to normal now, it's something which we expected. We didn't change that much, maybe made one or two slight changes," Slot explained. "What changed is things went back to normal, because in the Champions League I think we were number one in set-pieces."
Liverpool particularly struggled defensively against Premier League opposition set-pieces, and that will be tested again at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Interestingly, five of their eight league goals against Forest since their return to the competition in 2022 have been scored from set-pieces.
Facing Nottingham Forest Challenge
In Vitor Pereira, Slot is facing his third different Forest manager in four matches but is still looking for his first win, having lost one and drawn one to Nuno Espirito Santo and been defeated by Sean Dyche at home earlier this season.
"Back then in November they were in a different management as well because I think it was Sean Dyche's third or fourth game," added Slot. "That sometimes makes it a little bit more difficult because we only have one game to see if this manager changes personnel, changes tactics but we, of course, know him because he worked last season in the Premier League as well."
The manager reflected on their previous encounter: "It was a difficult game for us in the beginning of the season – the first half-hour was very good from us and then we conceded a set-piece and the game went completely the opposite way. We know what we can expect if we play Forest because I've played them three times already."
