Slot reserves special praise for one Arsenal star but slams ‘f***ing joke’ tactic vs Liverpool

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has heaped praise on “outstanding” Bukayo Saka as the Reds drew 2-2 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners went ahead through Saka’s close-range finish just nine minutes into the game before Virgil van Dijk levelled for the visitors.

Mikel Merino scored his first goal for the Gunners to restore their lead, but Mohamed Salah pulled one back in the 80th minute to ensure Liverpool sit one point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, while Arsenal are now five points off the top of the table.

Liverpool boss Slot admitted after the match that Arsenal deserved to be 2-1 up at the interval and hailed Saka as a “special winger”.

“I think the second half our intensity was from another level, but the first half was very difficult for us,” Slot told NBC Sports.

“Can they surprise you? Actually, they can because they can play in so many different formations, set-ups that you always have to wonder what they’ll come up with.

“Now they played with a false No.9 with their midfielders really wide, so I didn’t feel we had complete control in the first half.

“I was really pleased with us scoring a set-piece over here, the downside to that was us conceding one but I think Arsenal deserved to be 2-1 up at half time.”

When put to him that Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were forced back in the first half because of the quality of Arsenal’s wingers, the Liverpool boss added: “Yeah, the first goal was an example of this where you saw the quality of Saka.

“Maybe we had to do better but sometimes you have to give credit to these special wingers who are playing these games and I think Saka, especially in the first half, played an outstanding game.

“Then to be 2-1 down, although I didn’t think they so many other opportunities but they were by far the better team in the first half.

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“Then, I wouldn’t say it surprised me because I know these players, but with one day less to recover than Arsenal having played an away leg [in the Champions League on Wednesday], and to show up the second half in the way we did, with the intensity we played with, that was very pleasing to see.”

Slot claimed he was given a yellow card by the referee in the second half after officials misheard his complaints about Arsenal time-wasting tactics.

The Liverpool boss said: “Last time I said I completely deserved the yellow card, this time I don’t think I did it.

“Because after so many times they were on the floor, which can happen in football I don’t blame them for that, but they always fell down after they had ball possession.

“That took the energy out of the game in my opinion, and I said to Ibou [Ibrahima Konate], ‘this is a f***ing joke’ and the fourth official thought that I said to him, ‘you are a f***ing joke’, that’s definitely not that I said.

“But I got a yellow for that, so now I’m on two and I have to be careful now.”