Liverpool aiming to copy Arsenal's secret weapon that Gary Neville called 'damn good'

Mikel Arteta now knows what it must feel like to have done almost everything in his power to win a Premier League title - only to fall short. If he wants to talk about it then Jurgen Klopp has felt such emotion.

Last season when finishing as runners-up to Manchester City, some accused Arsenal of throwing away the silverware. There was a stage when the Gunners had an eight-point lead yet slipped up against Southampton, West Ham, Brighton and Nottingham Forest.

But this term, their challenge went to the final day but City proved insurmountable as they won a fourth successive top-flight crown. There are games you pinpoint why Arsenal failed - the successive defeats to West Ham and Fulham during the festive period are the ones to come to mind.

However, the Gunners did make progress. They got within two points of Pep Guardiola’s side as opposed to five last term and accrued 89 points was the same tally as City earned in 2022-23. But ultimately, the Gunners had to settle for a runners-up medal.

Liverpool are only too familiar with producing everything they possibly could but only to have to settled for the role of bridesmaid. In 2018-19, Jurgen Klopp’s side accrued a whopping 97 points - and lost just one league game - but finished a point behind City. Three years later, the Reds garnered 92 points although Guardiola’s troops amassed one more yet gain.

Managing to push City so close is almost an achievement in its own right. Maximising every facet is required. Gaining small margins is imperative.

A chief reason why Arsenal have been able to do so in the past two years is their improvements as set-pieces. They were once regarded as a way that teams in the lower echelons of the table would primarily score their goals. In truth, they can have connotations of outfits nicking corners and free-kicks to pile on the pressure. But in the modern game where clubs are awash with data, they are not classed as low-brow. They are potent weapons and Arsenal have a specific coach whose remits occupies over them.

Nicolas Jover has been much vaunted since he arrived in north London three years ago. He can often be seen barking orders next to Arteta when Arsenal have corners and free-kicks. If cameras only panned to the technical area during those situations, anyone would think it was Jover in the top job such is Arteta’s trust in him. It’s easy to see why.

Last season, the Emirates Stadium outfit scored a total of 20 goals from dead-ball scenarios. That was the most in the Premier League - four more than City and five better than Liverpool. Meanwhile, they conceded seven from set-pieces, which was the second-fewest behind City.

“I believed we needed somebody who specialised in that,” said Arteta of Jover’s impact.

“I met him, we started to discuss how we could apply set-pieces to the open play, which is also connected, they're not two separate things, it's all connected in the game, and how we could maximise that.

“I knew Nico from before, and I asked him to come and join our project, and he's having a really strong impact on the team.”

Arsenal scored from two set-pieces in their 3-2 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby last month. And when Jover was spotted celebrating, Gary Neville hailed him.

“It's been the same Arsenal set-up all year and it's been good all year,” said the former Manchester United defender on Sky Sports. “He's a little nuisance that set-piece coach, but he's damn good!”

If Liverpool are to challenge City and Arsenal for the title next season, who finished nine and seven points above respectively, they will need make improvements. The biggest task for Arne Slot is to arrest the Reds’ defensive issues. Towards the end of the season, as they failed to match the two teams that finished above them, goals were conceded too easily. In the Reds’ final 11 games, they managed just one clean sheet, which was the final-day triumph against Wolves.

But they clearly have ground to make up in terms of set-pieces. It is perhaps why Liverpool are copying Arsenal in hiring a specialist coach for the role. A job advertisement has been placed on various websites including Indeed and LinkedIn. With Klopp’s backroom team Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos also exiting, there are few left. Slot will only bring with him Sipke Hulshoff in terms of playing staff.

Applications will already be dropping into sporting director Richard Hughes’ inbox. Now the right candidate must be identified.