Arne Slot says Liverpool’s title defence undone by set pieces: “Impossible to win the league with our balance”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has pinned the club’s faltering Premier League title defence squarely on their frailty at set pieces, admitting the champions’ current balance from dead-ball situations makes reclaiming the crown “impossible.”

The Reds, who equalled a record 20th league title last May, sit sixth in the table, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal after a campaign in which they have shipped 14 goals from set pieces—more than every side except Bournemouth (16). Liverpool also lag in attack, ranking only 10th for goals scored from such situations, while Arsenal top the division with 16.

Speaking on the eve of tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round trip to Brighton, Slot contrasted the club’s European and domestic fortunes.

“My first thought was no, because I have always said it is almost impossible to win a game of football with a negative set-piece balance,” Slot said. “In the Champions League we are top in set pieces; in the Premier League we are completely bottom. That reflects in the league table as well.”

The Dutch coach believes the landscape has shifted dramatically inside 12 months.

“The current Premier League is so, so, so much more about set pieces than it was last season. Even though I already found it very important, it has now gone through the roof in terms of how importance. You have to be plus five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10—no matter what you do in open play—to have a chance to win the league.”

With every fixture now carrying added weight, Slot reiterated that improvement on the training ground is non-negotiable.

“I cannot stop talking about the importance of set pieces. It’s every single day.”

Liverpool travel to the Amex Stadium hoping to keep their cup hopes alive, yet the manager’s message is clear: unless the set-piece ledger swings dramatically, a Premier League climb remains a distant prospect.