Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted three goals from set-pieces in the 5-2 win over West Ham was a welcome positive change after a season of frustration.
For only the second time in Premier League history three goals were scored from first-half corners as Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister were on target.
Liverpool have gone from the worst top-flight performers in terms of set-piece balance (the difference between the number scored and conceded) at the end of 2025 to the best since New Year’s Day.
So even with an xG of just 0.7 they went into half-time with a comfortable lead and despite conceding twice, to Tomas Soucek and Taty Castellanos, Cody Gakpo and an Axel Disasi own goal made it four wins in five league matches to lift them into fifth place.
“Very pleasing because firstly that is the reason we have won, secondly because people said ‘well played’ and in my opinion we have played better when we lost and better when we conceded from set-pieces,” said Slot.
“The first half of the season almost every set-piece we conceded went in. We start scoring from set-pieces and things start looking brighter and better than when you don’t.”
Asked what had changed Slot added: “We have created quite a lot of chances in the first half of the season that too many times did not go in.
“Maybe one or two small details have changed defensively and offensively – our set-up is slightly different – but the biggest reason is that things go back to normal.”
Slot was without playmaker Florian Wirtz, absent with a back injury sustained in the warm-up at Nottingham Forest last weekend, and the Germany international remains doubtful for two trips to Wolves next week in the league on Tuesday and FA Cup on Friday.
“Sometimes with an injury things can develop in a positive or a negative way. Now, we are thinking it doesn’t have to take too long but Tuesday will probably be too early,” he added.
“But the week after will be tight as things stand now. I thought he would be available for today as well, which didn’t happen, of course.
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo said it seemed “silly” to take positives from the game but felt there were plenty.
“It is hard to explain, maybe it is absurd to say it is a good performance when you lose 5-2 but there are a lot of positives, a lot of negatives too,” he said.
“At half-time you say ‘boys you are playing good but losing 3-0’ but we really made mistakes from set-pieces.
“The second half we started well and scored early, we create problems for Liverpool.
“Saying it is a good performance maybe sounds really silly but it is what I saw – but we go home with a poor result.”
