Liverpool following Arsenal's lead as Champions League campaign begins with win in Milan
Following in Arsenal's footsteps helped Liverpool earn an opening matchday win over AC Milan in the Champions League.
The Reds came from behind to a secure a 3-1 victory at the San Siro thanks to first-half goals from center-back duo Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk and a second-half strike from Dominik Szoboszlai, helping Arne Slot's side return to winning ways in emphatic fashion.
It was a much needed response following Saturday's disastrous 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, where the Reds appeared a shadow of their former selves following three wins from three to open the campaign.
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But despite a shaky start on Tuesday where Christian Pulisic put the hosts ahead after just three minutes, Liverpool recovered well and produced an otherwise dominant performance to secure all three points. One of the main talking points, however, was its threat from set-pieces.
Both Konate and Van Dijk's headers came from dead ball situations and they can perhaps thank Aaron Briggs on Slot's coaching staff for their penalty area success, having worked with him on such situations following his summer arrival.
Despite initially arriving to take on the role of first-team individual development coach, Briggs has quickly become a vital figure behind the scenes when it comes to set-piece play - something Premier League title rival Arsenal has already massively benefitted from following the appointment of set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
And while Briggs had not been hired to focus on such a specific role, it appears Liverpool has found its perfect man to lead this crucial aspect of its game. Briggs, who had previous roles at Manchester City, Monaco, and Wolfsburg, has now effectively taken up such responsibilities, working closely with analysts to exploit opponents’ weaknesses.
That was more than clear in Liverpool's victory over AC Milan on Tuesday, with Konate and Van Dijk both hauled forward for a free-kick and a corner in the first-half to use their physical and aerial presence in the opposition box.
The result? A first goal of the season for both the Frenchman and the Dutchman, who outmuscled Milan's weak defense to rise highest in the danger zone and plant their heads onto whipped deliveries into the box from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas, respectively.
And both goals proved crucial to Liverpool turning the tide in the game and collecting all three points. Without them, the Reds would have headed into the break a goal behind - and may never have fully recovered to earn at least a point their efforts deserved.
But it was Briggs' analysis on AC Milan's defensive setup that allowed Liverpool to take full advantage from set pieces - a crucial flaw in any team's game. For starters, Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s hesitance in coming off his line from set-pieces was identified as an opportunity to exploit.
Furthermore, Milan’s static defending from balls into the six-yard box, as seen in their first four games of the Serie A campaign, would leave them vulnerable to Liverpool’s aerial prowess - and that's exactly what happened, with Briggs nailing it down to a tee.