I’ve probably been guilty of overthinking Liverpool at times, when the simpler explanation is right there: more sides are getting better at defending, and they’re happy to make it ugly for as long as it takes.

The Leeds game, for me, had that familiar feel. Every time their keeper had the ball it was basically “lump it into our half” and reset. No fuss, no risk. And once you’ve dealt with that first ball and the second ball, you’re straight back to the other problem: trying to get past a packed defence with 11 bodies behind the ball.

When there’s no space in behind, it turns into a stalemate

If you can’t consistently get in behind, you end up playing in front of teams. That’s where it starts to feel a bit samey, even when you’ve got quality on the pitch and you’re moving it quickly.

There were moments where a wide run nearly opened it up, and you could see the idea: stretch them, pin them, then hit the space before they can shuffle across. But if it’s only “nearly” a few times, you’re still stuck in that stalemate. The game becomes a cycle of circulation, a hopeful delivery, a blocked shot, or a recycled corner. Not chaos. Not proper momentum.

Set pieces: both ends need a bit more

These games are decided by small things. If you’re not carving teams open, set pieces become a huge lever. You don’t need to be brilliant in open play if you can make corners and free-kicks count.

Virgil going close is exactly the point. Those chances are there. The margins are tiny. But turning “close” into goals is how you punish sides who come with a low block and long-ball plan. And at the other end, you’ve still got to make sure you’re not giving them cheap encouragement from their own dead-ball situations.

More bodies in the box when the cross finally comes

The other big one is what happens when a wide player does beat his man or gets in behind. If you’ve only got one or two targets arriving, it’s easy for a deep defence to clear and reset. It’s not just about beating the full-back, it’s about flooding the key zones at the right moment.

Truth is, once Liverpool start scoring more regularly from set pieces and attacking crosses with real numbers, teams will have to change their setup. Right now they don’t. They can sit in, go long, play for territory and set pieces, and back themselves to survive.

That’s Arne Slot’s job, and I’m pretty sure he knows it. If the recent results feel like a slow swing in the right direction, it’ll be because we’re starting to solve these exact problems rather than hoping they go away.

Written by Statto: 8 January 2026

Tags: efl