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EPL Premier League Drama Dan Mullan/Getty Images Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says most Premier League matches are “no longer a joy to watch” with so many teams so dependent on set pieces. The Dutchman described it as “the new reality” of top-flight football in England with games increasingly stop-start due to a greater focus on dead-ball situations. Advertisement “First of all, you have to accept it, ” he said. “I think it’s mainly here in the Premier League. It’s the new reality. If I watch other leagues I don’t think there’s so much emphasis on set pieces. If I watch an Eredivisie game, I see goals being disallowed and fouls on goalkeepers being given and I’m like: ‘Wow, that’s a big difference. ’ “Here, you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says: ‘Just go on. ’ Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. If you ask me, thinking about football, I think about the Barcelona team from 10 to 15 years ago. Every Sunday evening you were hoping they would play. “Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not for me a joy to watch but it’s always interesting because it’s so competitive and that is what makes this league great because there is so much competitiveness. “Everyone can win against everyone. But just as someone who loves to watch football without being interested in who is winning or losing, just to be enjoyed, I think there’s a big difference between now and three or four years ago in the Premier League. Not only because of the set pieces but because teams have become so much stronger. ” Liverpool struggled both defensively and offensively from set pieces earlier in the season but there’s been a big improvement at both ends since the departure of coach Aaron Briggs in late December. Slot’s side scored three first-half goals from set pieces in Saturday’s 5-2 win over West Ham United. “Maybe in five to 10 years’ time things will change again, ” Slot added. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if you went to some under-16s game in grassroots football and you saw teams completely focused on set pieces. “It’s the new reality. I have my opinion about it but that doesn’t change it. ” Slot confirmed that Florian Wirtz will miss Tuesday’s Premier League trip to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the German is also expected to be absent for Friday’s return to Molineux in the FA Cup. “We hope to have him back sometime next week. Maybe earlier. Maybe a bit later, ” he said. Advertisement There was the welcome sight of Jeremie Frimpong making his comeback off the bench against West Ham but Slot intends to handle him carefully given his injury issues this season. “Having Jeremie back is really nice but what you’re saying does go through your mind because we play three games in seven days, and then we are away to Galatasaray, ” he added. “But I prefer to have the challenge of managing his minutes than to see him with the medical staff doing his recovery. ” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @James Pearce LFC