Liverpool produced a medical first-half efficiency to attain three set-piece objectives in a chaotic 5-2 win over relegation-fighting West Ham.
Arne Slot’s facet, who’ve been criticised for poor set-play effectiveness this season, discovered the web 3 times from corners as Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alex Mac Allister all noticed efforts soar past Mads Hermansen.
It was a masterclass in set-piece effectivity, with every aim attributed to a unique creator, and uncovered simply how horrible the Hammers are at defending dead-ball conditions. Nuno Espirito Santo’s facet have conceded a league-high 15 objectives from corners this season and marks the second time they’ve been on the receiving finish of three nook objectives after additionally transport the identical quantity to Chelsea in August.
Virgil van Dijk scored his third league aim of the season
What was as soon as an analogous weak point for the hosts has now turn out to be an excellent power, albeit they continue to be susceptible in different areas. El Hadji Diouf and Tomas Soucek mixed on the counter early in the second half to present West Ham a lifeline and Liverpool had been liable once more when Valentin Castellanos was left unmarked on the again submit from a nook. Fortunately for them it didn’t a lot matter.
Cody Gakpo missed a sitter earlier than scoring Liverpool’s fourth, and as the sport stretched late on, Jeremie Frimpong compelled an personal aim from Axel Disasi. West Ham’s predicament on the backside stays unsure whereas Slot’s facet displace Chelsea in fifth as the hunt for European locations appears to be like set to go the gap.
Jeremie Frimpong compelled a fifth late on as West Ham drained
Slot lastly embraces set-piece revolution
Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter at Anfield:
At 3-0 up in the primary half, Liverpool had scored seven straight objectives from set items in the Premier League. It marks the longest run of any facet in competitors historical past. And but, it looks like solely yesterday that we had been condemning that facet of their sport as out of date. They had the worst document in Europe.
Arne Slot and his technical workers have labored some magic on the coaching floor as a result of, nearly in a single day, Liverpool have turn out to be as harmful as Arsenal from set performs. If solely this system had been discovered earlier Aaron Briggs would possibly nonetheless have a job.
The three nook objectives in their newest outing had been helped in no small half by West Ham’s horrible ineffectiveness in this specific space. The Hammers persistently allowed first contact on the ball inside their six-yard space with out intervention.
Virgil van Dijk is the Premier League’s second-highest scoring central defender
Mateus Fernandes even advised Sky Sports at full time that his facet had labored all week on a plan to cease Virgil van Dijk, now the second-highest scoring central defender in Premier League historical past behind John Terry. It did not have any impact.
“In some games, when the game is stuck and you know you can score from a set piece – which we lacked in other moments – it’s very important,” Cody Gakpo remarked afterwards.
This is a new degree unlocked in Liverpool’s salvation mission, with Slot fast to touch upon his facet’s lack of open play coherence. “I don’t think it was our best game of the season from open play,” he conceded. “Set pieces can make a massive difference.” On this event they had been the distinction.
Outlook ‘a lot brighter’ for Slot
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot:
“The main thing to take is we scored three goals from set pieces. It’s very pleasing, that’s the reason we won. We’ve played better overall when we’ve lost. But things went back to normal, we created from set-pieces earlier in the season but conceded in that way and today the opposite thing happened. We start scoring from set-pieces and things look much brighter.
On the reason for set-piece improvement: “Things have gone again to regular, principally. We’ve been unfortunate earlier than. Even immediately we concede from a set-piece. Maybe one or two small particulars have modified defensively and offensively, our setup is barely totally different.
“There was never a moment when they were closing the gap to one goal. It was never under real threat but I could feel the nervousness in the stadium, it makes sense because so many times we’ve given away a comfortable lead this season.
“We are nonetheless making probabilities however now they go in. All of a sudden, issues look a lot nicer.”
Nuno likes performance but regrets set-piece mistakes
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo
“Maybe it is absurd to say it was a very good efficiency once you lose 5-2, however there are quite a lot of positives in our sport. Quite a lot of negatives as effectively. You go to half-time and you’ve got your gamers in entrance of you and I say ‘boys, you are enjoying good’, however we’re dropping 3-0.
“We created a lot of situations, combined well, but made mistakes on our set-pieces. The second half we started well and created problems for Liverpool. To tell you it’s a good performance may sound silly from myself but this is what I saw. I saw a team that didn’t give up and believed. It’s a poor result.”