‘Not a joy to watch’ – Arne Slot criticizes Arsenal’s obsession with set-piece

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is not pleased with Premier League clubs new obsession with set-piece, claiming the set-piece routines is making matches a chore to watch.

Slot led Liverpool to Premier League glory in his first season in charge but has failed to stay consistent in his second year. The Reds have failed to keep up with Arsenal and Manchester City’s form and will only hope for a top four finish.

Liverpool have suffered in the hands of team utilising the new set-piece technique, and the Dutchman has warned that this “new reality” is set to dominate the landscape for the foreseeable future.

Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“First of all, you have to accept it,” the Dutchman said as per The Times. “I think it’s mainly here in the Premier League. If I watch other leagues I don’t think there’s so much emphasis on set pieces. If I watch an Eredivisie game, I see goals being disallowed and fouls on goalkeepers being given and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s a big difference.’ Here, you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says, ‘Just go on’. Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. If you ask me, thinking about football I think about the Barcelona team from 10 to 15 years ago. Every Sunday evening you were hoping they would play.

“Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not a joy to watch, but it’s always interesting because it’s so competitive and that is what makes this league great because there is so much competitiveness. Everyone can win against everyone. But just as someone who loves to watch football without being interested in winning or losing, just to be enjoyed, I think there’s a big difference between now and three or four years ago in the Premier League.”

Manchester United and Everton players grapple at a corner. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

A staggering 17.6% of all goals scored in the Premier League this season have originated from corners. To put that into perspective, 138 of the 783 goals scored have been the result of a delivery from a corner, the highest percentage ever recorded in the history.

Arsenal has scored 16 goals from corners this term, the north Londoners have already equalled the Premier League record for a single campaign.

Slot added that the emphasis on set-piece coaches and dark arts in the box will go on for a while yet.

He said: “Not only because of the set pieces but also because teams have become so much stronger. But we are not going to change it. Maybe in five to ten years’ time things will change again. What I wouldn’t be surprised of is if you go to an under-16s game somewhere, you see them completely focused on set pieces and that’s the new reality. I have my opinion about it but it doesn’t change.”