Virgil van Dijk has acknowledged that Liverpool’s vulnerability from set-pieces remains a serious concern, warning that lapses after the initial clearance are repeatedly costing his side.
Despite claiming a 2-1 win over Wolves at Anfield on Saturday, Liverpool again conceded from a corner, with Santiago Bueno capitalising.
It followed a similar pattern the previous week against Tottenham, when Richarlison scored after the Reds failed to deal with the aftermath of a set-piece.
Liverpool have now let in 12 Premier League goals from dead-ball situations this season, a tally matched only by Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
At the other end, their return has been just as troubling, with only three league goals scored from set-pieces, excluding penalties.
Van Dijk admitted the imbalance is damaging.
While Liverpool often win the first header, he believes danger regularly arises once the ball drops again in the box.
“We defend plenty of set-pieces well,” he explained.
“But too often it’s what happens next that hurts us."
"Those second balls are where we’re getting punished.”
The Dutch defender rejected the idea that the issue is psychological, insisting it must be solved on the training ground.
He added that the squad is fully aware of the problem and is working constantly to correct it.
Head coach Arne Slot shares the frustration, conceding that Liverpool have struggled to influence games from corners and free-kicks at either end of the pitch.
However, he also pointed to recent progress, with his side finding ways to win even when conceding from set-pieces.
“In the last couple of matches we’ve given goals away like this and still taken three points,” Slot said.
“That’s a step forward, but it doesn’t change the fact that we need to be much better.”
Liverpool’s latest victory was their third in a row and moved them up to fourth in the Premier League table, but concerns over set-piece defending continue to loom large as the season progresses.
