Slot gets no joy from EPL’s focus on set pieces

LIVERPOOL, England:

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he no longer finds most English Premier League (EPL) games a joy to watch with the "new reality" of set-piece goals dominating the competition.

League leaders Arsenal have specialised in efficient set-piece scoring this season and both their goals came from corners in Sunday's 2-1 win over Chelsea. Slot's Liverpool scored three from corners in a 5-2 victory over West Ham the day before.

"Do I like it? My football heart doesn't like it. Now most of the games I see in the Premier League are not, for me, a joy to watch," Slot said on Monday ahead of fifth-place Liverpool's game at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

Slot said set pieces are one reason the Premier League has "so much competitiveness", with smaller teams able to pull off big upsets, but also pointed the finger at lenient English refereeing compared to the Dutch league, where Slot coached until joining Liverpool.

In England "you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face" and the referee will still play on, Slot argued.

"Maybe in five or 10 years' time things will change again but I wouldn't be surprised if you went to an under-16s game somewhere, Sunday League football, if you see teams completely being focused on set-pieces," Slot added. "That's the new reality."

Liverpool will visit Wolverhampton twice this week, with a FA Cup game set for Friday, before another away trip March 10 against Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Slot said playmaker Florian Wirtz is set to remain out of both Wolverhampton games with a back injury and predicted he would return to action next week.

- AP