Arne Slot has defended his Liverpool setup for setpieces after Dan Burn scored in the Carabao Cup final to help Newcastle United beat Liverpool. He claimed that the Reds use zonal marking and the defender needs to be credited for scoring the header.
Speaking to the media after the match, Slot was quick to respond to questions from Jamie Carragher after the Carabao Cup final loss. The Dutchman explained his decision and stated that it was not man-to-man marking and said via Metro:
"We play zonal. We always have five players zonally close to our goal. So, if the ball falls there, there is always one of the stronger five players to attack that ball. We have three players that man mark and Macca is one of them. Normally a player like Burn runs to the zone because normally, and I think he is an exception. I have never in my life seen a player from that far away heading a ball with so much force into the far corner."
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"The logic is that they either have to go far away from our six-yard box which 99 out of 100 times won’t lead to a goal or they have to arrive in our zone and then it’s an equal battle. But credit to him, I think he’s one of few players who can score a goal from that distance with his head."
Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored for Newcastle United to help the Magpies end their 7-year trophy drought. Federico Chiesa pulled one back for Liverpool in injury time, but it was a mere consolation at the end.
What did Jamie Carragher say after Liverpool lost Carabao Cup final to Newcastle United?
Jamie Carragher questioned Liverpool's tactics while defending a corner and claimed that it was a mismatch. He believes that someone taller should have marked Burn and not Alexis Mac Allister and said via Metro:
"It isn’t right. Its a mismatch. Dan Burn is too big and too powerful for Alexis Mac Allister. Liverpool could look at the fact that Newcastle keeps targeting Dan Burn and maybe swap Jota and Mac Allister. He is far better in the air. Burn has won every header. Mac Allister isn’t even watching the ball. What that is about I don’t know."
Liverpool are unlikely to finish the season trophyless as they are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 9 games to go. They have been already eliminated from the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League.
