Liverpool Football Club officially announced today, Tuesday, the departure of Aaron Bridges from his position as set-piece coach, ahead of the team’s upcoming match against Leeds United next Thursday as part of the 19th round of the English Premier League.

The club's statement indicated that Bridges, who joined Liverpool in July 2024 as an individual performance development coach before taking over the set-piece responsibilities, contributed to the team winning the Premier League title as part of the technical staff led by Arne Slot. The club expressed its best wishes for his future career.

This step comes against the backdrop of a significant decline in the team’s defensive performance, as Liverpool currently holds the worst record for goals conceded from set pieces among the five major European leagues, having conceded 12 goals from such situations during the current season.

The defensive crisis was clearly highlighted during the recent 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton, where the visiting team scored their second goal from a corner kick, spotlighting the defensive system’s weakness against set pieces.

This issue is considered one of the most critical weaknesses within the ranks of the English Premier League champions, as clubs like Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, and Wolverhampton have exploited this deficiency to score goals against Liverpool, prompting the club to make the decision to part ways with Bridges.