Arne Slot faces backlash over Arsenal Premier League set-piece comments
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has drawn criticism for appearing to aim a set-piece dig at Arsenal following their first Premier League title victory in 22 years.
The Gunners secured the championship after Manchester City dropped points against Bournemouth in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday.
Mikel Arteta’s side will finally lift the trophy at Selhurst Park following their last match of the 2025-26 season against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Slot’s set-piece claim
During a pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s fixture with Brentford, the Dutchman congratulated the newly crowned champions.
However, the former Feyenoord boss also highlighted their reliance on dead-ball situations to achieve domestic success.
“Winning it here in England is never easy and they have done a tremendous job.”
“Forty per cent of their goals have come from set-pieces. Football has changed and evolved.”
Statistics refute manager’s comments
The 47-year-old’s remarks quickly generated debate across social media platforms.
CBS Sports football correspondent James Benge publicly challenged the statistics provided by the Merseyside boss.
Benge pointed out that the North London club has actually scored just under 35% of their league goals from set-pieces.
The journalist also calculated that the outgoing champions themselves have scored 28% of their goals from similar scenarios across all competitions.
Arsenal fans react to Liverpool deficit
Supporters of the capital club were quick to express their frustration at the perceived slight online.
Many fans pointed out the significant gap between the two clubs in the current league standings.
The Reds currently trail the new champions by 23 points after failing to mount a successful title defence.
Slot had previously guided his team to the Premier League crown during his debut campaign at Anfield last season.