Former Arsenal midfielder Anders Limpar has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool manager Arne Slot, criticising his recent comments about the Gunners’ playing style as “a diabolical thing to talk about.”
The controversy arose after Slot appeared to downplay Arsenal’s set-piece prowess during a September press conference. Arsenal, currently atop the Premier League table, have been formidable in dead-ball situations, with a significant portion of their goals coming from set-pieces. Liverpool, meanwhile, have struggled recently, losing their last four Premier League matches and sitting outside the top four.
During the press conference, when asked about his team conceding goals from set-pieces, Slot remarked:
“If you’d tell me that we’ve conceded 40% of our goals from set pieces, and the No. 1 in the league has scored 60% of their goals from set-pieces, and we’re still one point behind that team, I would probably think, ‘It’s not even that bad!'”
However, Limpar did not take kindly to Slot’s comments and swiftly defended his former club. He stressed that top managers should accept setbacks without resorting to excuses.
“It doesn’t really matter how you win games so long as you win games. Over the long run, you have to play all the best teams. To be criticised for scoring from set pieces or not, it’s a diabolical thing to talk about in my opinion.”
He continued:
“Shall we look back at the last four years and look at what City have done or not have done, or what Liverpool have done or not have done? At the end of the day, they’ve all had scrappy wins here and there. Arne Slot has to cope with losing the last four league games on the trot. It’s not normal for them.”
“Now suddenly they are having these setbacks and you have to cope with that as a manager, especially at a top club in the Premier League. It’s normal business. I hate players who have excuses. I don’t like managers having excuses.”
Statistically, Arsenal have the most goals from set pieces this season, netting 11 so far—two more than any other Premier League side, with Chelsea second on nine.
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**Alan Shearer Reveals Two Reasons Why Arsenal Hold a ‘Huge Advantage’ Over Liverpool**
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has tipped Arsenal as strong favourites to win the Premier League this season. He pointed to the Gunners’ defensive solidity and their set-piece effectiveness as key factors giving them an edge over rivals such as Liverpool.
Speaking on *The Rest is Football* podcast, Shearer said:
“You’re going to get games like this that come after a European game in midweek and you just need to get the result. It wasn’t as comfortable as Arsenal would like and it wasn’t a great performance but they won the game.”
“The huge advantage Arsenal have over Liverpool, Man City and whoever else thinks they can challenge is the defence and the set-pieces.”
This season, Arsenal and Liverpool have already faced each other once, with Liverpool securing a narrow 1-0 victory.
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As the Premier League race intensifies, Arsenal’s tactical strengths—particularly in set-piece situations—and their resilience at the back could prove decisive in their pursuit of the title. Meanwhile, Liverpool and their manager Arne Slot face the challenge of turning around a worrying run of form without falling into the trap of making excuses.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-it-s-diabolical-thing-talk-about-ex-arsenal-star-slams-liverpool-boss-arne-slot-comments-gunners-amid-reds-worrying-form
