Set piece weakness remains unresolved
Liverpool’s consolation goal in their 2-1 win over Wolves at Anfield came from a set piece, accounting for 0.75 of the match’s total of 1.07xg. That’s all it takes to change the game.
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The Reds were dominant and gave Wolves little opportunity to score until the end of the 51st minute, and indeed the visitors didn’t react much after the goal – although the atmosphere inside the stadium shifted. Suddenly, the outcome is thrown into doubt and old wounds reopen.
Fortunately, despite being unable to restore the two-goal advantage, the team managed to cross the finish line. This was the second game in a row where Liverpool needed to secure a well-deserved win.
Tottenham’s goal last week came in the 83rd minute as Thomas Frank’s nine-man side had the firepower and home crowd to seriously threaten an equalizer after initially falling 2-0 behind. This time, Wolves couldn’t find a way back into the game, but it was an unnecessary situation.
According to The Athletic, the Reds have conceded 12 set pieces so far, tied with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. The defending champions must do better.
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The context here, of course, is that Wolves are 20th in the table and their goal at Anfield was only their 10th in 18 Premier League games so far this season. But Spurs have fewer points than they did at this point last season, so the last two wins haven’t been great.
The important thing is that the victory is coming and we are not relying on the last goal to get the result, but the risk of giving up a hard-earned and well-deserved victory is so high that it is a major concern.
Overall, there’s a lot to be positive about the Reds. Saturday’s 2-1 victory was their fourth in a row and we are now on a seven-game unbeaten run, a far cry from the nine defeats in 12 games that plagued the team earlier in the season. Liverpool currently sit fourth in the Premier League.
But results need to start getting easier than that. Otherwise, our slack attitude will be punished.