Andoni Iraola believes Liverpool’s improved defending at set pieces will face its toughest test against Arsenal on Sunday, given their reputation in dead-ball situations.
Liverpool have yet to concede a set-piece goal in the league this season, their last in all competitions coming when Conor Gallagher scored for Tottenham in their Carabao Cup defeat at Anfield in September.
The record is a considerable improvement on last season, when Arne Slot’s side conceded 20 non-penalty goals from set pieces, the joint-highest total in the division alongside Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
Iraola, whose Bournemouth side shared that unwanted record, has credited Liverpool’s coaching staff and analysts for the change. He also believes the presence of Ronald Araujo in defence has made a difference.
The Uruguay international has been used at right-back, but his height and strength give Liverpool an extra presence when defending corners and free-kicks.
“It definitely helps having a centre-back at right-back when we talk about defending set pieces,” Iraola said. “It helps with the height and the physicality of the team.
“It helps us to defend better but it is true that you also lose a little bit offensively on the other side. Offensively we cannot demand of Ronald the same thing as other full-backs and what they give us, but we have to balance this with other patterns.”
Arsenal will provide a particularly difficult test for the Reds, even if despite scoring 25 goals from set pieces on their way to winning the title last season, their first such goal this season came only last weekend.
“It is very early in the season and they hadn’t scored [from set pieces] until last weekend and now they have scored,” Iraola said. “I hope they stay that way for a while but they are a big threat.”
He added: “From set pieces they are a big threat. They have very tall players who are very good headers and they work it very well. They give you a big demand and I think we will have to defend very well. I think we have, touch wood, dealt very well with defending set pieces so far this season. But Arsenal is probably the biggest challenge.”
The meeting at Anfield could also have a bearing on the early title race. Pundit Jamie Carragher has suggested Liverpool are being overlooked as potential challengers to Arsenal, who are second behind Manchester City. A win on Sunday would leave Liverpool three points behind the champions.
Iraola, however, does not want his players distracted by the league table at this stage of the season.
“I think it is too early to start looking at the standings,” he said. “It is about preparing ourselves for a very difficult game. We know Arsenal and how good they are. They have very good players, working a lot in synchronicity, and we have to be ready for that challenge.”
He said Liverpool trusted their players and expected a strong atmosphere at Anfield, but stressed that the focus should remain on improving from one match to the next.
“Like I said before, it is still October. We have to take one game at a time and I always say the reference is more or less when we’ve played against each other once so halfway through the season. That’s when you can start to look at the standings. Right now, we are in a position where we need to improve and keep getting better.”
Liverpool could have Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz available for the game. Both have been recovering from injuries, with Szoboszlai nursing a hamstring problem and Munoz a knee injury.
“I think they have a chance,” Iraola said. “But I don’t know for sure if they will be involved or not. We still have two days, so I think they have a chance, yes.”
