Liverpool manager Arne Slot says his “football heart” dislikes the league’s growing reliance on set-pieces, a trend he admits is the new reality.

LIVERPOOL manager Arne Slot has criticised the Premier League’s growing reliance on set-pieces, admitting the trend has sucked some of the joy out of the game for him.

The Dutchman acknowledged it as the new reality, however, noting that seven of his team’s last nine league goals have come from dead-ball situations including three from corners in Saturday’s 5-2 win over West Ham United.

Slot pointed to league leaders Arsenal, who equalled the competition’s record with their 16th goal from a corner this season on Sunday, as the standard-bearers for this approach.

“If I watch other leagues, I don’t think there’s so much emphasis on set pieces,” Slot told reporters on Monday, adding that the trend seemed particularly pronounced in England.

He suggested the trend is partly due to officials giving goalkeepers less protection from physical challenges in the Premier League compared to other leagues like the Dutch Eredivisie.

“Here you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says just go on,” said the Liverpool boss.

“Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it.”

Slot contrasted the current style with the possession-based football of Pep Guardiola’s great Barcelona side, which he used to enjoy watching.

“Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch,” he admitted, though he praised the league’s unparalleled competitiveness.

He predicted the set-piece focus is here to stay and will likely filter down to youth levels in the coming years.

Fifth-placed Liverpool, who have won seven of their last nine games in all competitions, travel to face bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.

Playmaker Florian Wirtz is expected to miss that match and Friday’s FA Cup tie against the same opponents at Molineux due to a back issue.

 The Sun Malaysia