Arne Slot explains Liverpool's set-piece transformation and makes Anfield atmosphere admission

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Arne Slot reacts to Liverpool's 5-2 Premier League win at home to West Ham United, during which their success from set-pieces proved keyArne Slot believes Liverpool are profiting from having changed “one or two small details” at set-pieces as they maintained their hopes of a top-four finish.The Reds eased to a 5-2 win over West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday afternoon to temporarily move level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United in the last guaranteed Champions League qualification berth.Liverpool scored three times from either the first or second phase at a corner during the first half, with Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister all on the mark.Having been the joint-lowest scorers from dead-balls in the Premier League at Christmas, now no team has netted more times in the top-flight from such situations this calendar year.And asked what has changed regards Liverpool’s threat at set-pieces, Slot said: “Things went back to normal.“The first half of the season we created quite a lot of chances from set-pieces and almost every set-piece we conceded went in. Today exactly the opposite happened.“We start scoring from set-pieces and things look much brighter and better than when you don’t.

It’s really pleasing for us, for the team and for the fans as well.“Maybe one or two small details have changed defensively and offensively, our set-up is slightly, slightly different but the biggest reason is that things go back to normal.“There was a time when we were 23 goals behind Arsenal on set-pieces, including penalties, and we have closed the gap a bit.”Tomas Soucek and Taty Castellanos pulled goals back for West Ham in the second half either side of a Cody Gakpo strike before the scoring was finished when a cross from Liverpool substitute Jeremie Frimpong was put into his own net by Alex Disasi.And Slot admits he doesn’t blame the Anfield crowd for having grown restless when the visitors briefly threatened an unlikely comeback as Liverpool lost their way for a period in the second half.“This has happened more this season that there were three, four, five minutes during a game when we struggled a bit, but usually in those games the ball has gone in and when that happens at 0-0 you have a different feeling at 1-0 down rather than (if you concede when you are) 3-0 up,” said the Reds boss.“I don’t think there was a moment when they (West Ham) were close to closing the gap to one goal. It was never under real threat but I could feel the nervousness in the stadium because it makes sense as so many times this season we have given away a very comfortable lead.“I never like to concede a goal but the first at least we have 10 players in and around the box and sometimes it is a bit of bad luck and the ball falls or there is quality by the individual such as Soucek.

We have conceded goals this season where not all of our players were back.”Of the game, Slot added: “It was very pleasing because first of all that is the reason we have won, second of all because people said ‘well played, well played’ and in my opinion we have played better.“It was not our best game of the season, we have played better when we lost and better when we conceded from set-pieces. We were okay to good but it wasn’t our best game of the season.”Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.