Liverpool's corner threat transformed as changes pay off for Virgil van Dijk's winning goal against Sunderland

Arne Slot welcomed Liverpool's set-piece efficiency in their 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. "Usually we concede one, but tonight we could score and that's the difference for us in this game," he said in his press conference.

Virgil van Dijk's goal, headed in from Mohamed Salah's delivery in the second half, was actually Liverpool's third from a corner in their last four Premier League games. But their overall total of four this season remains the fifth-lowest in the Premier League.

Slot referenced the cost of failing to capitalise on set-pieces in marginal games earlier this season, citing their draws with the other newly-promoted teams, Leeds and Burnley. So, what's changed?

Their newfound effectiveness is not a coincidence.

Instead, it is a result of a drastic change of approach.

Prior to last month's defeat to Bournemouth, when they scored the first of their three recent goals from corners, Liverpool had the lowest percentage of inswinging deliveries in the Premier League, at 49.4 per cent, well below the average of roughly 70 per cent.

In the four games since, their percentage has shot up to 82.5 per cent, with 28 of their 34 corners against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Manchester City and Sunderland having been inswingers.

The change of emphasis, which, coincidentally or not, follows the departure of set-piece coach Aaron Briggs at the end of December, has clearly proved fruitful, with Liverpool scoring three times from 34 corners having only scored once from 117 previously this term.