Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League and face Leeds at Anfield on New Year’s Day.
Liverpool have confirmed the departure of first-team set-piece coach Aaron Briggs, following a concerning run of conceding set-pieces. The decision, reached by mutual agreement, comes with the club’s set-piece record under intense scrutiny. Liverpool confirmed the news in an official statement.
Woeful Liverpool set-piece record
This season, no side in Europe’s top five leagues has conceded more goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) than Liverpool’s total of twelve. Their vulnerability was highlighted again during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Wolves, where Santiago Bueno’s consolation goal originated from a corner. [smartframe_images_embed customer-id=”04742eb90cefa12a5e3ab9bae92c2b93″ image-id=”neimO0SHhAoZ” style=”width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2891px; aspect-ratio: 2891/1927;”]
Conversely, the Reds have scored just three times from their own set-plays, creating what manager Arne Slot has repeatedly labeled a “negative set-piece balance.”
Briggs pays the price
The club felt an intervention was necessary. Briggs, who initially joined as an individual development coach in 2024 and contributed to last season’s title win, remains highly regarded at the club. However, a change was deemed necessary.
Responsibility for set-pieces will now fall to Slot and his existing core staff, including assistants Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, as they seek an immediate solution.
Why does Liverpool need their set-piece errors to change?
Slot has been openly frustrated by the issue, which has undermined the team’s campaign. Speaking recently, he acknowledged the scale of the problem, stating, “It’s impossible to be top-four, top-five with our set-piece balance, let alone winning the league.”
He pointed out the anomaly of Liverpool’s league position given their record, adding, “We are the only team in the top end of the table that has a negative set-piece balance.”[smartframe_images_embed customer-id=”04742eb90cefa12a5e3ab9bae92c2b93″ image-id=”neimfuy6uFGu” style=”width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2818px; aspect-ratio: 2818/1879;”]
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also expressed frustration on the persistent problem. “I would say at least 75% of the time or even more, it’s not even about the first contact,” Van Dijk explained.
“It’s the second phase that is the killer.” He dismissed suggestions of a mental block but conceded, “The fact is, we’ve conceded too many set-piece goals and we don’t score enough. It’s something we have to improve.”
Briggs’ exit is not viewed as a magic fix but rather a necessary step in addressing a critical weakness this season. With over half the season remaining, the onus is now on Slot’s remaining coaching team to rectify a flaw that has cost the team dearly and threatened their ambitions for the season.
