What’s happening? "Arne Slot" vents that the Premier League is no longer fun before Liverpool's bid to overtake Manchester United.
On 3 March 2026 GMT+7, Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, gave an interview ahead of their 29th Premier League match of the 2025-26 season, an away game against Wolverhampton, scheduled tonight at 03:15.
Before kickoff, the Premier League table shows Liverpool in 5th place with 48 points and a +10 goal difference. A win could see them leapfrog Manchester United, who have 51 points and a +12 goal difference, into 3rd place. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton sit bottom with 13 points, 14 points adrift of the relegation safety zone.
However, Arne Slot stated that most Premier League matches have become less enjoyable to watch this season, as many teams focus on scoring from set pieces—free kicks and corners (excluding penalties)—which account for 27.5% of all league goals this season.
This figure is the second-highest since the 2009-10 season, when 28.5% of goals came from set pieces (excluding penalties). Arsenal, the league leaders, have scored 19 such goals, including 16 from corners, matching the highest single-season record and with a chance to set a new record in the remaining games.
Liverpool recently scored their first three goals from corners in their latest 5-2 win over West Ham United, giving the "Reds" the highest number of set-piece goals in the Premier League since the start of 2026, totaling 9 goals.
Despite Liverpool scoring many set-piece goals, Arne Slot candidly expressed, "You have to accept it. I think it mainly happens here in the Premier League. When I watch other leagues, I don’t think they focus on set pieces as much."
"When I watch the Eredivisie, which I still follow, I see many goals disallowed and goalkeepers fouled. I think, 'Wow, it’s very different.' Here, you can almost kick the goalkeeper in the face, and the referee still says, 'Play on.'"
"Do I like it? Honestly, I don’t enjoy football like this. If you ask me about football, I think of Barcelona from 10-15 years ago. Every Sunday evening, you hoped they would play."
"Now, most games I watch in the Premier League aren’t the style I prefer, but they’re always interesting because the competition is so intense. That’s what makes this league great—high competitiveness where any team can beat another."
"We probably can’t change it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you watched Sunday League (the lowest amateur level in English football) and saw 16-year-olds all focused on set pieces."