Arne Slot speaks out on Liverpool’s recurring defensive failures
Liverpool’s struggles defensively this season have become one of the defining features of our campaign under Arne Slot.
The issue resurfaced dramatically in the 3-2 defeat away at Bournemouth, when a late long throw was not cleared and Amine Adli scored the winner.
That moment summed up a season-long pattern that Slot himself has openly acknowledged.
Speaking to TNT Sports, the Liverpool head coach described the defensive picture in blunt terms.
“It is different things each time. We can tick all the boxes of what you can imagine – or things you cannot even imagine – that can happen to you.”
Those words explain why frustration has grown among supporters who keep seeing similar outcomes from different situations.
The obvious question, though, is why the problem remains if the manager is so clearly aware of it.
Slot’s honesty highlights Liverpool’s set-piece weakness
Slot has not tried to hide behind excuses.
He has framed the issue as something that must be solved rather than ignored.
“Throughout this whole season I can constantly come back to these moments.
“At a certain point, you also have to look at different things: is it luck, is it bad luck or do we need to improve? We definitely need to improve.”
He also pinpointed what he believes is missing in key phases.
“We have to bring more bodies in our own box when we have to defend.”
That openness is refreshing in one sense, it shows a manager willing to confront uncomfortable truths rather than deflect blame.
But there is also a risk that by being so public about the problem, Liverpool are effectively advertising where opponents should focus.
Set pieces have already been a clear target for teams visiting Anfield and for sides hosting us.
Bournemouth’s late winner felt like the latest example of a weakness that is now well-known.
Liverpool’s set-piece record in context
The statistics explain why the debate refuses to die, Liverpool’s general defensive numbers are not poor.
We have conceded the joint seventh-fewest shots in the Premier League and our expected goals against stands at just 7.7.
Yet set pieces account for a huge share of the damage.
Premier League set-piece data (via Opta):
| Metric | Liverpool |
|---|---|
| Set-piece goals conceded | 14 |
| Teams worse | Only Bournemouth (17) |
| xG against | 7.7 |
| % of goals conceded from set pieces | 43.75% |
That imbalance makes every dead-ball moment feel dangerous.
It also explains why good open-play defending is being undermined by brief lapses in the box.
There has been genuine improvement since the club parted company with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs at the end of December.
The Marseille win was the clearest recent example of calmer, more controlled defending at corners and free-kicks.
We also went six matches without conceding from a set piece in all competitions before Bournemouth struck.
That suggests the work being done is not pointless however, Bournemouth highlighted that the problem has not fully gone away.
Jamie Carragher’s criticism of our lack of physicality in that match adds another layer, suggesting the issue is not only marking schemes but the structure and aggression before the ball even arrives.
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