After a hat-trick of set-piece goals against West Ham, it’s clear that Liverpool’s issues in that department are now behind them.
The 5-2 scoreline suggests a far more comfortable afternoon than we saw at Anfield, but their new habit helped them take the game out of reach.
While Virgil van Dijk’s header was the only direct conversion of a set-piece, two more of the Reds’ five goals came in the second phase of a dead-ball situation.
Did anyone actually deserve man of the match against West Ham? 😆
If so, who was it?
Alexis Mac Allister during Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Liverpool’s set-piece renaissance has given them a new route to wins, while their fiercest rivals struggle in that facet of the game.
Liverpool dominate Premier League set-pieces in 2026 while United and Chelsea struggle
It’s now eight goals from set-pieces for Liverpool since the turn of the new year.
That’s the best output in the Premier League.
Liverpool sacked set-piece coach Aaron Briggs at the end of December and the new collaborative approach they have taken is paying dividends for Arne Slot.
Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
As for their top-five rivals Man United and Chelsea, it’s been a different story. The Blues have just one set-piece goal this year, while Michael Carrick’s side have two.
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Fine margins are likely to determine where these teams finish in the standings, and the gains the reigning champions are making could have a huge influence. There is still every chance of overtaking them, and Aston Villa, to end the season in third.
Liverpool’s first-half performance a season-first
The last time Liverpool scored three goals before half time, it was the day they clinched the Premier League title against Spurs.
Since then, early struggles have been a feature of their performances, scoring within the first 20 minutes just twice before Saturday’s win.
If that issue can be fixed, it’s yet another reason to hope for a climb up the table in the final weeks of the season.
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