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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has expressed a distinct lack of enjoyment for the current style of football prevalent in the Premier League, though he concedes it represents "the new reality" of the game.
His comments highlight a growing trend towards set-piece dominance, a factor he believes detracts from the sport's aesthetic appeal.
This sentiment comes despite his own side recently benefiting from such tactics.
In a striking display of pragmatism, Liverpool became only the second team in Premier League history to net three first-half goals directly from corners during their victory over West Ham on Saturday.
This tactical shift, which saw balls whipped towards the goalkeeper, proved highly effective, embodying an 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach. Slot, however, remains personally unconvinced by the trend.
"First of all you have to accept it. I think it is mainly here in the Premier League; if I watch other leagues I don’t think there is so much emphasis on set-pieces," he stated.
He drew a stark contrast with the Eredivisie, where he observes goals disallowed and fouls on goalkeepers called more frequently.
"Here you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face the referee will say just go on," he remarked. "Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. Now most of the games I see in the Premier League are not, for me, a joy to watch."
Despite his personal preference, Slot acknowledged the competitive edge this brings.
"But it is always interesting because it is so competitive and that’s what makes this league great because there is so much competitiveness – everyone can win against everyone," he explained.
He attributes this not only to set-pieces but also to the overall strengthening of teams, noting that large goal differences against lower-ranked sides are now rare.
Slot even predicted the widespread adoption of this focus: "Maybe in five or 10 years’ time things will change again but I wouldn’t be surprised if you went to an under-16s game somewhere, Sunday League football, if you see teams completely being focused on set-pieces. That’s the new reality."
This heightened competitiveness will be immediately apparent to Slot's Liverpool side as they prepare to face bottom-placed Wolves.
The Midlands club recently secured only their second league win of the season against then third-placed Aston Villa, underscoring the league's unpredictable nature.
Liverpool, however, arrive in strong form, having won seven of their last nine matches across all competitions, including four victories in their last five league outings, placing them just three points adrift of third-placed Manchester United.
Prior to the West Ham fixture, Slot had voiced concerns about his forwards' output.
While Mohamed Salah’s record Premier League goal drought extended to 10 matches, goals from Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo provided a welcome boost.
Gakpo’s goal, in particular, was significant, being only his second in the league since November and coming after a period of scrutiny.
Slot commented on its importance: "I was happy because it was the 4-1 goal so that gave us an even more comfortable cushion, but even more happy for him to score because I think he needed that goal."
He added, "I don’t think his confidence was gone or away in that regard but I did see a few times recently that he maybe made different decisions that I’m used to from him.
“That doesn’t always have to mean it’s a lack of confidence but when players are not scoring for a longer and longer (time) they start to think more about their direction, and overthinking is not the best thing you can do."