Overview
- Liverpool confirmed on December 30 that Aaron Briggs has left his role as first‑team set‑piece coach, a move described by multiple outlets as a mutual decision driven by performance data.
- The champions have conceded 12 Premier League goals from set plays — a tally no team in Europe’s big five leagues has surpassed — including seven from corners, while scoring only three non‑penalty set‑piece goals for a set‑piece goal difference of about minus nine.
- Set‑piece duties will be handled initially by head coach Arne Slot and assistants Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, with no immediate replacement announced.
- Virgil van Dijk and Slot have publicly highlighted second‑phase lapses on set pieces as the central problem rather than losing the first aerial contact.
- The change comes days before Liverpool host Leeds on January 1, with Slot cautioning that the current set‑piece balance must improve to sustain top‑four ambitions.