Liverpool announce departure of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs | OneFootball

Liverpool have parted ways with first-team set-piece coach Aaron Briggs as the Premier League champions move to address a persistent weakness that has undermined their performances this season.

The decision follows mounting frustration inside the club over Liverpool’s record at dead-ball situations, which has been among the poorest in the division despite their continued strength in open play.

Set pieces have proven costly for Arne Slot’s side, with Liverpool conceding 12 goals from such situations in the Premier League, more than any other top-flight team when penalties are excluded.

Only West Ham United have conceded more goals from corners, while Liverpool have allowed seven from that specific source alone.

At the other end of the pitch, their returns have been similarly underwhelming, with Liverpool scoring just 2.4 goals per 100 set pieces, a figure bettered only by Brentford from the wrong end of the scale.

In terms of defensive output, Liverpool are conceding 8.2 goals per 100 set pieces, with only Nottingham Forest posting a worse average.

Those issues have repeatedly altered the course of matches, most recently against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers, when Liverpool led comfortably before conceding from set pieces and being forced into tense finishes.

Briggs joined Liverpool’s coaching staff in July 2024, initially as an individual development coach following the departure of Vitor Matos, before assuming responsibility for set pieces after the club were unable to appoint a specialist.

The appointment was adjusted last summer when Brazilian coach Luiz Fernando Iubel arrived as individual lead coach, allowing Briggs to focus solely on dead-ball situations, but the changes failed to produce the desired improvement.

Despite his reputation as a diligent and respected coach, Liverpool concluded that a change was required midway through the campaign, although the club do not view his departure as a complete solution to the problem.

There is no immediate replacement lined up, with Briggs’ duties set to be shared among existing members of Slot’s coaching staff in the short term.

Briggs arrived at Anfield after working under Niko Kovac at Wolfsburg and previously held senior analytical and coaching roles at Monaco.

He also spent nine years at Manchester City, progressing from under-18 performance analyst to a senior first-team role, with earlier experience at Blackpool and Preston North End.