Arne Slot Delivers Brutal Reality Check: Liverpool's Glaring Weakness Exposed
Arne Slot has stated that Liverpool's poor set-piece record is hampering his squad's progress in the Premier League this campaign, after witnessing the significance of dead-ball situations reach unprecedented levels.
Set-piece balance refers to the difference between set-piece goals scored versus those allowed, making a positive figure clearly preferable and indicating proficiency in dead-ball scenarios.
Slot acknowledged on Friday morning, following Virgil van Dijk's decisive corner header that secured victory against Sunderland two days prior, that he may need to reconsider his approach to set pieces and the attention he must dedicate to them.
"I find myself constantly discussing set pieces' significance. It's a daily conversation," the Dutch manager explained.
"You've previously asked about the disparity between our Champions League and Premier League displays, and the simplest explanation is set pieces. In European competition, we lead in set-piece statistics, while domestically we're at the very bottom."
Liverpool secured third place in the final 36-team European league phase rankings, yet have struggled to match the top five teams in England's premier division.
"This Premier League season is dramatically more focused on set pieces compared to last year," Slot elaborated. "Despite already considering them crucial, their importance has now reached extraordinary heights.
"Winning the championship with our current set-piece record is genuinely impossible. You need a positive balance of five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten goals, regardless of your open-play performance, to compete for the title."
Liverpool have made progress in their set-piece statistics, which stood at -9 at December's end. Van Dijk's recent header against Sunderland, his goal versus Bournemouth, and Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick against Manchester City, without conceding additional goals, have reduced the deficit to -6.
Premier League Set-Piece Balance—Feb. 13, 2026
Premier League Set-Piece Balance—Feb. 13, 2026
Team | Set-Piece Goals F/A | Balance | League Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Arsenal | 15:5 | +10 | 1st |
Tottenham | 13:7 | +6 | 16th |
Man Utd | 13:10 | +3 | 4th |
Newcastle | 13:11 | +2 | 10th |
Aston Villa | 10:8 | +2 | 3rd |
Brighton | 7:5 | +2 | 14th |
Chelsea | 12:11 | +1 | 5th |
Leeds | 12:11 | +1 | 15th |
Everton | 7:6 | +1 | 8th |
Brentford | 5:4 | +1 | 7th |
Fulham | 8:8 | 0 | 12th |
Sunderland | 7:7 | 0 | 11th |
Man City | 6:7 | -1 | 2nd |
Wolves | 4:5 | -1 | 20th |
Burnley | 6:8 | -2 | 19th |
Bournemouth | 12:16 | -4 | 9th |
Crystal Palace | 9:13 | -4 | 13th |
Nottingham Forest | 6:11 | -5 | 17th |
Liverpool | 6:14 | -6 | 6th |
West Ham | 7:13 | -6 | 18th |
*Statistics courtesy of Opta
Liverpool continue to share the bottom position in set-piece balance rankings with West Ham United. League-leading Arsenal top the charts with a +10 rating. However, Slot's claim about the impossibility of winning without a significantly positive balance could be challenged if Manchester City, currently at -1, manages to overtake the Gunners.
Though not a perfect predictor, Slot's observation contains merit, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton and Brentford all maintaining positive set-piece balances while occupying top-half league positions. Exceptions exist—such as Liverpool's situation and Tottenham's contrasting case—but poor set-piece balance generally correlates with lower table standings.