Arne Slot accidentally proves Jamie Carragher right with Liverpool admission

Arne Slot has admitted his side's set-piece record has cost it the chance to defend its Premier League title, and in the process he's proved Jamie Carragher right on Liverpool

Arne Slot has accidentally proved Jamie Carragher right on Liverpool this season(Image: Getty Images)

Arne Slot has openly admitted his Liverpool side has made it “impossible” for itself to defend its Premier League title this season, due to its poor record from set-pieces.

The Reds’ hopes of making it back-to-back title have long been extinguished, with Slot and his players instead now focused on just securing a place in next season’s Champions League, which itself is proving difficult.

Liverpool narrowed the gap to Manchester United and Chelsea with victory over Sunderland in midweek, but it still finds itself three and two points off its rivals respectively, putting its place at Europe’s top table for next season in doubt.

The Reds may yet secure a spot in the Champions League by winning this season’s competition. In contrast to their league form, they’ve put themselves in a strong position in Europe, having already qualified for the last-16, where they will be one of the seeded teams in the knockout stages.

Liverpool’s poor Premier League showing is in part down to its record from set-pieces, with Slot having regularly bemoaned his side’s efforts in both defending and attacking them.

Asked whether his thoughts on set-pieces had changed this season, Slot said in his press conference on Friday: “My first thought was no because I’ve always said it is almost impossible to win a game of football with a negative set-piece balance, and in the Premier League, every game is now a big game because of the strength of the league.

Liverpool has one of the worst set-piece records in the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)

“But looking at where the league has gone to, I should maybe not say no, I should say yes.

“I cannot stop talking about the importance of set-pieces. Every single day, it’s so obvious, you have asked me multiple times what the difference is between our Champions League performances and our Premier League performances.

“Now, the most simple answer is set-pieces, because in the Champions League we’re top in set-pieces, in the Premier League we’re completely bottom, and that reflects in the league table as well.

“The current Premier League is so, so, so much more about set-pieces than it was last season. Even though I’ve found that it’s very important, it’s now gone through the roof. It’s actually impossible to win the league if you have a set-piece balance like ours, you need to have plus-five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten to even have a chance, no matter what you do in open play.”

In admitting that, Slot has inadvertently proved Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher right. The former defender has posited recently that the Reds are more set up for Champions League football, which he feels has left their head coach in a precarious position.

“If I think of the three big things that would stand out for me in the Premier League now that you’re coming up against, it’s set-pieces and long throws, it’s counter-attacking football, for and against, both set-pieces and counter-attacking, and if you’re a top team like Liverpool coming up against low blocks as Arne Slot likes to say… Liverpool can’t cope with any of them,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool is not set up for the Premier League this season(Image: Sky Sports)

“So what we’re seeing is a team in the Premier League that is not suited to the Premier League. But when we see them in Europe, is set-pieces as important and long throws? No.”

Carragher added: “As I said, I don’t think this team is equipped for Premier League football. Once you start fearing Champions League qualification for next season, that’s when I think we’ve got a completely different proposition in terms of the manager’s job.

“That for me is completely different. If we’re talking about not winning the league or challenging for the league, that is collective responsibility, and Liverpool don’t win the league every year. Not making the Champions League from [being] champions, spending £450 million, and having the highest wage bill in the Premier League, which is the biggest sort of determining factor normally about where you finish in the league, I think you’ve got serious questions to ask.”