Liverpool’s post-December record shows a clear shift after staff change

Liverpool’s defensive record since late December has taken a noticeable turn, with Marseille providing the clearest recent example of a trend that has quietly developed behind the scenes.

The 3–0 Champions League win away in France underlined how controlled we looked without the familiar anxiety at dead-ball moments, a theme that has repeated itself since the club parted company with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs on 30 December.

We have now gone six matches without conceding a single goal from a set piece, despite continuing to face pressure in several of those games.

That detail matters given how often set-piece defending had been cited as a recurring weakness earlier in the campaign.

Liverpool’s set-piece record since Briggs’ departure

Much of the criticism aimed at Liverpool earlier this season focused on how vulnerable we looked defending corners and wide free-kicks.

The club responded with a staffing change just before the new year, with existing coaches absorbing responsibility rather than appointing an immediate replacement.

Since then, the numbers show a clear shift.

All goals conceded in that run have come from open play, with none from corners, indirect free-kicks or second phases.

That represents a sharp contrast to the earlier part of the season, when we had already conceded more non-penalty set-piece goals than any other Premier League side.

Marseille performance reinforces Liverpool defensive trend

The win over Olympique de Marseille offered a useful stress test.

The hosts delivered several dangerous dead-ball situations, including a first-half free-kick that required Alisson to react sharply, yet our organisation remained compact and disciplined.

That control fed into a broader performance that saw us move into fourth place in the Champions League table, with one game left, and extend our unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 matches.

It also added context to discussion around Briggs’ departure, when it was stressed that the change was not about blame but about finding a solution.

As was outlined when Arne Slot addressed the exit, Briggs had played “a big part” in last season’s title win, but timing and direction can still demand adjustment.

What this recent sequence suggests is that the adjustment has had an effect.

The caveat is that while defensive set-piece stability has improved, attacking output from dead-ball situations remains modest, and that still feels like an area for growth.

For now, though, the evidence is clear.

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