Liverpool’s Set-Piece Struggles a ‘Major Concern’ – Van Dijk

No team in the Premier League has allowed more goals from set-pieces this season than Liverpool, according to captain Virgil van Dijk.

Acknowledgment of Issues

Liverpool’s defense has been particularly vulnerable, conceding a total of 12 goals from set-pieces, tying with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest for the most in the league. This lapses in defending were evident in their recent matches, including a 2-1 victory over Wolves, where Santiago Bueno capitalized on a corner, and in the previous encounter with Tottenham Hotspur, where Richarlison scored after a corner was not properly cleared.

Van Dijk remarked, “We’ve played well defensively in various matches, yet we’ve still given up too many goals from set-pieces, and our scoring has not met expectations.”

Highlighting the Second Phase

The Liverpool captain emphasized the need for improvement, asserting that over 75% of the time, issues arise not from the initial contact but rather from the subsequent phase. “I hope it’s not a mental issue. Personally, it doesn’t impact me,” he added.

In contrast to conceding, Liverpool has only managed a mere three goals from set-pieces in the league, resulting in a disappointing goal difference of minus nine, their worst performance to date in the Premier League.

“We’ve defended set-pieces well in many instances, but still allowed far too many goals, which is detrimental. Improvement is essential, and we can only achieve that through training,” Van Dijk stated. “It has not reached the level we require, and we all acknowledge this. We’ve conversed about it, and must turn this around—hence, it’s a focus of almost every training session.”

Manager’s Perspective

Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, expressed disappointment with the team’s set-piece performance. “Sadly, we’re seemingly the team that rarely scores from set-pieces and continuously concedes. We need to find a path to victory under adverse circumstances, whether from set-pieces or elsewhere,” he mentioned.

In their last two outings, despite conceding from set-pieces, Liverpool managed to secure wins, a rarity this season. “To me, that’s a sign of progress, although there are clear areas we still need to enhance, including our set-piece execution. We’ve faced numerous unfortunate situations, and after 18 matches, an improvement is necessary.”

With this victory being their third consecutive win, Liverpool has climbed to the fourth position in the league standings.