Liverpool have severed ties with their first-team set-piece coach, Aaron Briggs, following a series of costly defensive lapses this campaign. The decision comes as the reigning Premier League champions grapple with a significant vulnerability from dead-ball situations.
Manager Arne Slot has repeatedly voiced his frustration over the team’s inefficiency in set-pieces, which has undermined their performances despite a recent victory. Statistical analysis highlights the scale of the issue: the side has conceded a league-high 12 goals from set plays this season, accounting for nearly half of all goals against. Conversely, their offensive output from such scenarios ranks among the lowest in the division.
Briggs, who was instrumental in last season’s title triumph and played a key role in Slot’s transition to English football, is understood to have departed by mutual agreement. The club’s hierarchy determined that a change was necessary to address a persistent problem that threatens their competitive aims.
Initially appointed as an individual development coach in the summer of 2024, Briggs assumed the set-piece responsibilities after an external search failed to yield a candidate. Liverpool now intend to fill the vacancy but stress that Briggs’ exit alone is not viewed as a definitive solution. In the interim, his duties will be absorbed by Slot and his existing assistant coaching staff, with an emphasis on a collective effort to rectify the shortcomings.
In recent remarks, Slot pointed to the set-piece deficit as a primary factor holding the team back, suggesting their league position would be markedly stronger without this recurring flaw. The club now faces the immediate challenge of shoring up its defence as it pursues its objectives for the remainder of the season.
