It is an unfortunate consequence of the recent shift in how the Premier League is played that it is compulsory to periodically check in on Liverpool’s set-piece record.
But the fact is, the Reds’ first half of last season was proof that an entire campaign can be derailed by not paying sufficient attention to this aspect of the game.
At the halfway point of 2025-26, Arne Slot’s side had scored three and conceded 12 (a goal difference of -9) from such situations, a record that led to the dismissal of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs.
In the second half of the season, they managed to score 15 and concede just eight (+7), a rare area of improvement that helped ensure Champions League football was narrowly secured.
Insiders later hailed that upturn as a collective effort, but there was still a feeling that a specialist set-piece coach would be sought come the end of the season.
However, the dismissal of Slot and subsequent appointment of Andoni Iraola somewhat shifted things because of the make-up of the latter’s coaching staff.
At Bournemouth, Iraola had delegated responsibility for attacking set-pieces to Shaun Cooper, while his other trusted lieutenant Tommy Elphick took charge of defending.
And so it was agreed that this same setup would be tried at Anfield, albeit boosted by the input of the club’s set-piece analyst Lewis Mahoney.
That decision was understandable given Bournemouth had scored a fairly respectable 14 goals from corners and free-kicks last season, a figure bested by just seven sides.
It was also noted that they had been one of the biggest exponents of the inswinging corner, having delivered a league-leading 96.4% last term in that manner.
To Liverpool that was a sign of a forward-thinking approach given that they themselves had only landed on the effectiveness of inswingers in the second half of the campaign and could trace much of their improvement back to that.
Admittedly, Bournemouth’s defending of set-pieces did offer some cause for concern, with only Liverpool (20) conceding more than the Cherries’ 18 in 25-26.
