Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, has voiced his dissatisfaction with the current style of Premier League play, lamenting that matches are far from enjoyable spectacles.
In today’s top-tier football, set-pieces have gained significant prominence, with Arsenal, the league leaders, leveraging them as a strategic advantage this season.
This focus on set-pieces posed challenges for Slot’s team earlier, resulting in the departure of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs.
During Liverpool’s commanding 5-2 victory over West Ham on Saturday, three goals originated from corner kicks, all occurring in the first half. Slot appears to be taking inspiration from Mikel Arteta’s strategies as he seeks to rejuvenate Liverpool’s campaign.
Despite adapting his tactics to align with the league’s demands this season, the Dutch coach remains critical of the emphasis on set-pieces.
Arne Slot has admitted he does not like how the Premier League has become reliant on set-pieces
Liverpool scored three of their five goals against West Ham on Saturday from corners
In a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s match against Wolves, Slot remarked, “It’s something you have to accept. This trend is particularly prevalent in the Premier League. When I watch other leagues, the focus on set-pieces is not as pronounced.”
‘If I watch an Eredivisie game, which I still do, I see goals being disallowed and fouls on goalkeepers being given and I think “wow, that’s a big difference”. Here, you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says “just go on”.
‘Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. If you ask me about football, I think about the Barcelona team from 10, 15 years ago. Every Sunday evening you were hoping they would play.’
Liverpool travel to Molineux for the first of two away trips to Wolves this week, looking to make it four Premier League wins on the spin against the division’s basement boys.
While Rob Edwards’ side are doomed for the drop, sitting 14 points from safety, they come into the clash on the back of a derby day win against Aston Villa.
And Slot, while he won’t like the football on display, knows he is in for a difficult clash.
He added: ‘Most of the games I see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch, but it’s always interesting because it’s so competitive and that is what makes this league great – because there’s so much competitiveness.
‘Everyone can win against everyone, but just as someone who loves to watch football, without being interested in who’s winning or losing it, just to be enjoyed, I think there’s a big difference now between three or four years ago in the Premier League.
‘Teams have become so much stronger – three or four years ago, when the top clubs faced the No 18, 17, 16, 15 [in the table], it could have been a four or five goals difference, and that’s usually what you like.
League leaders Arsenal have scored a record-equalling 16 goals from corners this season
‘If there’s so much difference between the teams, then one team is really good, but that’s not the situation anymore.
‘It’s not only about the set-pieces, it’s also because so many teams have become very strong. But we’re not going to change.
‘Maybe in five or 10 years’ time things will change again but I wouldn’t be surprised if you went to an under-16s game somewhere, Sunday League football, if you see teams completely being focused on set-pieces. That’s the new reality.’
