ST JAMES' PARK, NEWCASTLE // Liverpool could only draw 3-3 with Newcastle United in the Premier League, missing the chance to further its advantage in the title race.

Mohamed Salah scored twice in the second half — further increasing his already-strong case for a new contract agreement — after Curtis Jones had made it 1-1, but the host found the back of Caoimhin Kelleher's net three times to secure a point. On the respective performances, it was nothing less than the Magpies deserved.

Arne Slot was furious with some of the refereeing but his side simply didn't perform to the level that it should have done. Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

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Arne Slot fuming

Serene on the touchline, certainly compared to his Liverpool predecessor, Arne Slot wasn't happy with the number of fouls that his side was giving away, believing that the host was often getting away with similar levels of challenges. The referee, Andy Madley, was keen to bring out his cards, and Alexis Mac Allister's booking means he is now suspended for the Merseyside derby.

The Liverpool boss would have been a lot calmer had his team been playing better, however. His main frustrations will have come through the lack of intensity his players were showing in duels, and the very small number of chances that they created. Luis Diaz went down in the box and Slot also wanted a handball inside stoppage time.

Neither were ever going to be given, though, and by that point, the Reds were desperate for anything. Salah did come up with two goals from nothing but he couldn't quite manage a third.

Anthony Gordon with a point to prove

In another universe, Anthony Gordon could have been lining up on the left of the Liverpool attack here and Joe Gomez at the heart of the Newcastle defense. A swap deal, of sorts, was spoken about between the two clubs when the Magpies needed a solution to their PSR troubles in the summer, but instead opted to sell Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest.

Gomez hasn't got the game time that he would have hoped for under Slot until this point, but the England international is set for a spell in the team now, with so many other defensive options sidelined. This is why it was vital for him to be retained and why Liverpool was always happy to keep him on its books.

Gordon, too, hasn't had the season that he would have imagined. The forward hasn't really been in the best of form, finding the back of the net in only two matches (Bournemouth and Manchester City) prior to this one kicking off. He was better here with Jarell Quansah doing his best to contain him.

Against the young center-back, Gordon got plenty of joy. He drew the foul that got Trent Alexander-Arnold booked too. Gordon played like he wanted to prove something. He found the back of the net and looked sharp.

Jarell Quansah out of position

It was in this game last season that Liverpool starlet Jarell Quansah made his senior debut for the club that he had played for since the age of five. Coming on with Virgil van Dijk having been sent off and Joel Matip injured, he was introduced at the same time as Darwin Nunez on that occasion, though the Uruguayan somewhat stole the show.

Overtaking Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order last season with a series of exceptional performances, Quansah started on the opening day at Ipswich Town under Arne Slot. By half-time, he had been replaced — and this was his first appearance in a Premier League starting XI since that point.

In for a rare chance here, Quansah played at right-back with Gomez in the middle. Alexander-Arnold, only just back from injury, was unable to start, perhaps with one eye on the Merseyside derby this coming weekend. He looked exactly how you might imagine: largely a square peg in a round hole. Limited going forward, he wasn't quite sure where he was meant to be.

Jurgen Klopp would have played Gomez at full-back and Quansah in the middle. That worked for the German a good few times. In the first half, it looked like Slot was considering it as he gestured to his coaching staff in the dugout for a rotation to be made somewhere in his team. He never ended up moving into the middle until Alexander-Arnold was on the field, though. It was an odd call.

Premier League leader stumbles

With all three likely title contenders all playing on the same night, albeit at slightly different times, there was pressure to get win for a different reason than being chased. For Liverpool, it was simply about ensuring that its nine-point lead at the summit was not eaten into by taking care of its own business. Ultimately, it didn't quite manage to do that.

In title races, it is easy at times to look to the results of the teams around you. Liverpool, though, has such a buffer at the moment that is really does only need to focus on itself. Nevertheless, it gave itself plenty to do with a poor first-half showing. Salah did his best to turn things around and Jones was impressive throughout.

Really, though, Liverpool didn't deserve the win that the Egyptian King's magic might have delivered. The Premier League leader has stumbled, but there is still a long, long way to go.