Liverpool boss Arne Slot is under fire after his controversial comments about Arsenal’s incredible set-piece record, remarks that have now spectacularly backfired.
The Dutchman tried to play down the Gunners’ success by comparing Liverpool’s defensive woes to Arsenal’s dead-ball dominance, but former Arsenal winger Anders Limpar wasn’t having it.
Speaking recently, Slot said:
“If you’d tell me that we’ve conceded 40 per cent of our goals from set-pieces, and the number one in the league has scored 60% of their goals from set-pieces, and we’re still one point behind that team, I would probably think, ‘It’s not even that bad!’”
At the time, Liverpool were just a point off Arsenal. Fast forward a few weeks, and that gap has now ballooned to seven. While Arsenal continues to soar, Liverpool are in freefall, losing six of their last seven games and crashing out of the EFL Cup after a 3-0 hammering by Crystal Palace.
Limpar didn’t mince his words when asked about Slot’s remarks.
“It’s just an excuse, he can’t say that as an opposition manager. It doesn’t really matter how you win games so long as you win games. Over the long run, you have to play all the best teams. To be criticised for scoring from set-pieces or not, it’s a diabolical thing to talk about in my opinion,” Limpar said.
Arsenal’s rise under Mikel Arteta has been built on precision, power, and tactical genius, with set-pieces becoming their secret weapon. And as the Gunners march on at the top of the Premier League, Slot’s words are ageing as badly as Liverpool’s recent form.
Was Limpar right to call the Liverpool boss out, or was Slot simply clutching at straws to defend his struggling team?
