The issue Arne Slot has yet to resolve at Liverpool

Liverpool is seeing light at the end of the tunnel with four consecutive wins, but there remains a problem that coach Arne Slot's team has not been able to fix.

Wolves' consolation goal in Liverpool's 2-1 victory at Anfield came from a set-piece, accounting for 0.75 of their total 1.07 xG in the match. That alone was enough to change the course of the game.

Before the goal that reduced the deficit in the 51st minute, Liverpool completely dominated and hardly gave Wolves any clear chances. In fact, after scoring, the visitors failed to apply much significant pressure, but the atmosphere in the stands shifted. Suddenly, the result felt fragile and old wounds were reopened.

Fortunately, Liverpool managed to finish the match with a win, even though they couldn’t restore the two-goal lead. This marks the second consecutive game where The Reds had to fight hard to protect a well-deserved victory.

Previously, in the Tottenham match, Liverpool conceded a goal in the 83rd minute. Despite being down to nine men, Thomas Frank’s team still had enough firepower and home advantage to hope for an equalizer after trailing 0-2. This time, Wolves couldn’t find a way back into the game, but it was clearly an unnecessary situation Liverpool put themselves in.

According to The Athletic, Liverpool has conceded 12 goals from set-piece situations, a number equal to Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. As the reigning champions, The Reds simply must perform better.

Of course, this must be viewed in context: Wolves are currently 20th, and the goal at Anfield was only their 10th in the Premier League this season after 18 matches. But Tottenham currently have fewer points than they did at the same stage last season, so neither of these recent wins are entirely convincing.

On the positive side, Liverpool still secured all three points without relying on late goals. However, the risk of dropping a hard-fought and fully deserved victory remains a significant concern.

Overall, Liverpool has plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The recent 2-1 win was their fourth consecutive victory, and the team is currently on a seven-match unbeaten streak—completely contrasting with the dark period when they lost nine of their previous 12 games. Liverpool now sits fourth in the Premier League standings.

But things need to become easier. Otherwise, this lax attitude will sooner or later be punished.