Sports
Late to set-piece party, Liverpool are making up for lost time
If you can’t beat them, join them. Liverpool were slow to get on board with the Premier League‘s set-piece revolution, but their willingness to embrace the game’s increasingly agricultural approach has been instrumental in their recent revival, including in Saturday’s 5-2 victory over West Ham United at Anfield.
When Alexis Mac Allister drilled home the hosts’ third goal of the afternoon in front of the Kop, he ensured Liverpool became just the second team in Premier League history to score three goals from corners in the first half of a match, after Manchester United against Leicester City in September 2016. It is the kind of statistic that would have seemed preposterous in the early months of the campaign, when the Reds’ lack of proficiency at both scoring and defending set pieces negatively impacted their fortunes on an almost weekly basis.
Liverpool’s woes in that department were so pronounced that the club opted to part company with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs in December — although manager Arne Slot publicly defended his former colleague when grilled on the matter last week.
“It would be very unfair to Aaron, who was only partly responsible for that, because in the end I’m responsible for everything,” Slot said. “In the end it’s always my responsibility. But we were, in that period of time, so, so, so unlucky.”
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On the evidence of Saturday’s first-half showing, that luck has now started to change. Having been perennial slow starters in the top flight this season, Liverpool raced into an early lead when Ryan Gravenberch recycled possession from a corner and picked out Hugo Ekitike, who finished smartly past Mads Hermansen at the near post.
It was Ekitike’s 11th league goal of the season and his 16th in all competitions, making the France international the first Liverpool player to reach 20 goal contributions this term, with four assists also to his name. West Ham, who had lost just one of their previous six league games ahead of this weekend’s trip to Merseyside, rallied well after the early setback but found themselves on the end of yet more set-piece misery when Virgil van Dijk rose highest to nod Dominik Szoboszlai‘s in-swinging corner into the back if the net.
Liverpool employed the same route to goal again on the stroke of halftime, with Ekitike helping Szoboszlai’s smart delivery into the path of Mac Allister, who finished with aplomb to double his Premier League goal tally for the season.
His strike was Liverpool’s seventh consecutive league goal from a non-penalty set piece — the longest run by any side in the competition’s history. While Slot was right to assert that his team’s drastic uptick in set-piece form should not be pinned on one individual, the contrast in Liverpool’s numbers is stark.
Across their first 20 Premier League matches this season, Liverpool scored just three goals from set pieces — the fewest of any team in the division. Their efficacy from corners on Saturday, however, means they have scored nine set-piece goals in their past eight league games: more than any of their competitors.
“That’s very pleasing because that is the reason we have won,” Slot said in his postmatch news conference. “In my opinion, we have played better when we have lost and conceded from set pieces. But, as I’ve always said, things went back to normal.
“We created quite a lot of chances from set pieces in the first half of the season and almost every set piece we conceded went in, and today you could see exactly the opposite happening. Their first big chance was a set piece that would have gone in, in the first six or seven months, I’m 100% sure. But then it doesn’t and we start scoring from set pieces, things start looking much better and brighter. That’s really pleasing for us, for the team and for the fans as well.”
In a season that has been characterized by late drama, Liverpool deviated from the norm by scoring three goals in the first half of a league game for the first time since the day they clinched the title against Tottenham Hotspur last April. Still, the Reds’ unwelcome habit of making life difficult from themselves once again reared its head in the second half, with Tomás Soucek diverting El Hadji Malick Diouf‘s drilled cross past Alisson Becker just four minutes after the restart.
With nothing to lose, West Ham continued to pose plenty of problems for their hosts before Cody Gakpo‘s deflected effort helped to calm some nerves around Anfield. It was only the Netherlands international’s second goal in the league since his strike in the reverse fixture at the London Stadium in late November, and his impassioned celebration suggested it was a welcome relief to find himself back on the scoresheet.
A late header from Valentín Castellanos and an even later own-goal from Axel Disasi only heightened the erratic nature of Liverpool’s second-half display, and Slot will know more control and composure is required from his team if they are to finish the season in a stronger fashion than they started it.
Nevertheless, Liverpool have now won seven of their past nine games in all competitions and are up to fifth in the Premier League, just three points behind third-placed Aston Villa. They irrefutably remain an imperfect side, and even in securing their joint-biggest top-flight win of the season, they showed there is still plenty of scope for improvement.
But having been late to the set-piece party, Liverpool now look determined to make up for lost time. It might just be the secret weapon they need to make this campaign a successful one.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lindsey Heaps had a goal and an assist, and Jaedyn Shaw also scored to propel the United States to a sixth straight shutout victory with a 2-0 win over Argentina in the SheBelieves Cup on Sunday.
The U.S. has outscored opponents 27-1 over its past seven games. Coach Emma Hayes’ squad hasn’t lost since falling 2-1 to Portugal in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 23.
Heaps scored from the top of the box in the 19th minute. Emma Sears worked the ball out of the left corner and into the box, then passed to a wide-open Heaps, who converted with her left foot. It was her 39th international goal, the most on the current U.S. roster.
Shaw found the back of the net from the top left corner of the box. Her right-footed shot curved toward the left post and into the net for her 10th international goal.
After Shaw scored, Lilly Reale was treated for a right leg injury and replaced by Emily Fox.
During stoppage time, Argentina’s Milagros Martín was assessed a yellow card for shoving Trinity Rodman in the back after she came on as a second-half substitute. Rodman was treated on the field in second-half stoppage time and did not return for the final minutes of the match.
The U.S. dominated possession, holding the ball 67.7% of the time. The Americans had three shots on target, while Argentina had just one on target against U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.
The SheBelieves Cup — a four-team round-robin that also includes Canada and Colombia — moves to Columbus, Ohio, on March 4, when the Americans will take on Canada. The Canadians beat Colombia 4-1 earlier Sunday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this recap.
KUALA LUMPUR: Riyadh’s King Fahd Sport City Stadium will host the opening and closing matches of next year´s Asian Cup, officials announced Monday, the football showpiece seen as a precursor for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was awarded the World Cup but will first host the Asian Cup from January 7 to February 5, 2027.
“The King Fahd Sports City Stadium… will provide the backdrop for both the eagerly anticipated Final as well as the opening match, featuring hosts and three-time Asian champions Saudi Arabia,” the AFC said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur.
The 70,000-plus venue in Riyadh will also host four group stage battles, a round of 16 tie and a quarter-final match before the final in early February, the AFC added.
Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece.
Asian Cup matches will also be played in Jeddah and Al Khobar.
Match pairings and kick-off times will be confirmed at the AFC’s final draw on April 11 in Riyadh, the AFC said.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, staged and won the Asian Cup two years ago.
The tournament was supposed to take place in China in 2023, but was moved out of the country because of the country’s Covid policies at the time.
Bayern Munich want striker Harry Kane to sign a new contract, and Real Madrid want the same for star forward Vinícius Júnior. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Bayern Munich are ramping up their efforts to get striker Harry Kane to extend his contract, according to Fabrizio Romano, amid interest from clubs in the Premier League and Saudi Pro League. The 32-year-old, whose existing deal has just over a year remaining, has been inspired form this season as he closes in on Robert Lewandowski‘s infamous 41-goal single-season Bundesliga record.
– Vinícius Júnior remains in constant contact with Real Madrid over a contract extension with the club, reports AS. The 25-year-old has a deal that expires in 2027, and while he has been a key player for Madrid, there have been doubts over his future. Frustrations under former boss Xabi Alonso led to reports over a possible exit from the Bernabeu, with clubs from the Saudi Pro League and the Premier League linked with a switch. However, a recent uptick in form under Alvaro Arbeloa could see him extend his deal beyond next summer, with discussions ongoing.
– Manchester City are willing to break the world record transfer fee for a full-back in order to sign Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento this summer, according to TeamTalk. The existing record is Achraf Hakimi‘s £60-million move from Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. City have been impressed with Livramento’s form this season, and Newcastle are keen for the 23-year-old to extend his contract, which runs until 2028.
– Manchester United scouts have been left “impressed” by Stuttgart midfielder Chema Andrés, according to TeamTalk. The 20-year-old came through the ranks at Real Madrid, making three senior appearances for the Spanish giants, before moving to Germany in the transfer window for just £2 million. While United are joined by Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle in sending scouts to watch Chema, it is claimed that any deal is complicated by Real Madrid having a buyback clause worth £10 million.
– United are willing to move Mason Mount on this summer, according to Ekrem Konur. The midfielder has struggled to gain consistent minutes for the Red Devils since his £55 million move from Chelsea, with injuries plaguing his time at the club. With Mount approaching the final two years under contract at Old Trafford, an exit could be on the cards, with Aston Villa named as one of the teams showing interest.
OTHER RUMORS
– Newcastle are showing interest in Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi, who is set to be a free agent this summer when his contract with the Cherries expires (The Sun).
– Aston Villa are keen on a move for Nicolas Jackson this summer, who is expected to return to Chelsea at the end of his loan deal with Bayern Munich (Football Insider).
– Liverpool ace Alexis Mac Allister is fast becoming a top target for Real Madrid in the midfield this summer (TeamTalk).
– Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are monitoring a potential move for 19-year-old PSG midfielder Senny Mayulu, amid a contract stalemate (CaughtOffside).
– Fulham and West Ham are willing to meet AC Milan’s asking price for former Arsenal academy star Yunus Musah this summer, following the conclusion of his loan spell with Atalanta (Ekrem Konur).
– Manchester United are stepping up plans to sign a goalkeeper in the summer, with Andre Onana and Altay Bayandir free to leave the club in the upcoming transfer window (Football Insider).
– Nottingham Forest are not planning on triggering a permanent deal clause in the loan move for Lorenzo Lucca, with the striker expected to return to Napoli at the end of the season (Nicolo Schira).
– Barcelona are intending on sealing a new contract for Ferran Torres, with his current deal expiring in 2027, but talks are yet to open between the parties (AS).
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