Quality Salah the difference-maker for Liverpool: Slot

Quality players like Mohamed Salah are crucial in big games, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said after the Egypt international's late strike secured a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Salah, who said last month he was poised to leave Liverpool after this season, also scored in last weekend's 2-1 win over Chelsea, after netting the winning goal from the penalty spot at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"I think that's one of the things that top players have, that they are always available and they show up in the big games," Slot told reporters.

"That's also what you need if you are a big club, like we are and like Arsenal is, then you need these quality players because if you don't have them, it's going to be quite difficult to get your results.

Salah, who is tied with Robbie Fowler as Liverpool's eighth-highest goal-scorer of all time with 163 strikes, has scored six goals in the league this season. Salah was on the scoresheet in five of Liverpool's seven league wins.

"It's something you need to have as a club, to have these players that can make the difference for you, and Mo was that today offensively," Slot added.

Liverpool, who have 22 points from nine matches, are one point behind leaders Manchester City.

Slot's team play Brighton & Hove Albion twice this week, away in the League Cup on Wednesday followed by a home league game on Saturday.

Arsenal's Saka unhappy with draw as he marks 50 Premier

Bukayo Saka became the youngest Arsenal player to score 50 Premier League goals when he returned from a hamstring injury in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, but the winger was disappointed to drop two points after being on the verge of a crucial win.

Saka, who was injured during England's loss to Greece earlier this month, scored early to become the league's seventh youngest player to reach 50 goals at 23 years and 52 days, eight days older than when England's top scorer Harry Kane netted his 50th Premier League goal.

Bukayo Saka scores Arsenal's first goal against Liverpool. Reuters

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler remains the youngest to reach the milestone at 20 years and 252 days, ahead of fellow strikers Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Romelu Lukaku, with Cristiano Ronaldo the fifth youngest.

"I hate to miss games, so I was buzzing to be back. I had this game in mind to come back for and I was feeling good out there, and I was happy to get an early goal," Saka told Arsenal's official website.

"We are disappointed. I feel like we didn't show our best selves for 90 minutes and it cost us in the end. We believe we should have won it."

Manager Mikel Arteta also praised Saka's consistency as one of the positives in the match that saw key players Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber leave the field with injuries.

"After a few weeks off, the way he played and competed was exceptional. I think we had some big, big individual performances in the team," Arteta said.

Third-placed Arsenal, who lost at Bournemouth last weekend, now trail leaders Manchester City by five points. Arsenal continue their league campaign at Newcastle United on Saturday.