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Liverpool's set-piece problems go on: What's the solution for Jurgen Klopp's side?

Leroy Fer of Swansea City scores his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Swansea City and Liverpool
Image: Leroy Fer scored Swansea's opener against Liverpool from a corner

Liverpool's impressive start to the season continued at Swansea on Saturday, with a fifth win in seven Premier League matches - but they needed a second-half comeback after once again coming unstuck from a set-piece situation.

The Reds fell behind to the struggling Swans after just eight minutes when Gylfi Sigurdsson's corner caused problems and Leroy Fer eventually tapped in from close range.

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Roberto Firmino and James Milner struck back to ensure the goal wouldn't cost Liverpool points but defending dead balls is becoming a recurring problem.

Liverpool have conceded 16 times from corners and free-kicks since Jurgen Klopp took charge in October 2015. Only Swansea (18) have conceded more in the Premier League in that time.  

The Reds' tally for this season is now up to three, meaning almost one third of the goals they've let in have come from set-piece routines. It's a significant number and an area which clearly concerns Klopp.

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Jurgen Klopp discusses how his team defend corners on Monday Night Football

He went into detail about Liverpool's approach to defending corners on Monday Night Football, telling Jamie Carragher that, although he felt his team were improving, they were limited by their height and so must use zonal-marking methods to keep out more physical opposition.

"We have to be more creative," he said. "At Dortmund we had a lot of man marking because we had a lot of tall players - here we had to find a different solution."

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But for all of Klopp's meticulous planning, there were fundamental mistakes at the Liberty Stadium.

Nathaniel Clyne - part of a five-man line of defenders across the edge of the six-yard box - failed to beat Borja Baston to the initial cross at the back post, much to the frustration of former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders in the Sky Sports studio. "He can't be beaten in the air there," Saunders said.

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Fer goal (8) Swansea 1-0 Liverpool

Baston's header back across goal then fell to the feet of an unmarked Fer, who stroked in the opener. Behind him his team-mate Jordi Amat was also unmarked, primed to convert had Fer not done so himself. Klopp suggested the goal may have been offside but Liverpool had six players in the six-yard box when the initial cross came in and none of them were in the vicinity of Fer or Amat at the crucial moment.

It was the type of error Klopp had described in January, following Liverpool's 5-4 win at Norwich. On that occasion all four goals Liverpool conceded were from set-pieces and Klopp said he had an "intensive talk" with his players about the issue.

Goals conceded from corners/free-kicks in PL since October 2015 (up to 3pm on 1/10/16)

Team Goals conceded from corners/free-kicks
Swansea 18
Liverpool 16
Stoke 16
Bournemouth 13
Everton 13
Newcastle 13
Watford 13

At that time, Klopp said neither the set-up of his team nor the quality of the delivery from the opposition was the problem, but rather the decision-making of his players. "It's about what we are doing in these situations," he said. "Against Norwich we defended the first ball well but struggled with the second or third." Dealing with the second ball was once again the problem on Saturday.

In Klopp's defence, Liverpool were poor at defending set-pieces even before he arrived. In 2014/15 they conceded 14 goals from corners or free-kicks, the fourth worst total in the Premier League that season. But they conceded 15 last season and are well on course to match that figure this term, unless the manager can find a solution.

Goals conceded from corners/free-kicks in PL this season (up to 3pm on 1/10/16)

Team Goals conceded from corners/free-kicks
Stoke 5
Crystal Palace 5
Leicester 4
Watford 4
Liverpool 3

So what is he to do? Wales boss Chris Coleman told Sky Sports he favours the individual responsibility which comes with man-to-man marking, but Klopp doesn't believe he has the height in his team to employ that method. Meanwhile, his players are not executing his more creative zonal-marking plans.

Last season's Premier League winners Leicester City conceded 10 times from free-kicks and corners during 2015/16. The year before, champions Chelsea let in just seven goals from those situations on their march to the title. If Liverpool are to join that list of winners, Klopp will have to find an answer.

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Swansea 1-2 Liverpool

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