Arne Slot has picked out two West Ham stars who 'could easily' have been playing for Liverpool . Sunday saw Liverpool welcome the Irons to Anfield knowing that a win would take them within a week of being able to secure the Premier League title. Despite Luis Diaz's early opener, it wasn't easy for the Reds as Graham Potter's men put up a fight. West Ham eventually equalised in the 86th minute thanks to an Andy Robertson own goal, only for Virgil van Dijk to put Liverpool back ahead three minutes later. The 2-1 victory moved Slot's champions-in-waiting a whopping 13 points clear at the top while West Ham dropped to 17th, just one place outside the relegation zone. Slot, though, believes that their position is an indicator of how strong this season's Premier League is and named two West Ham players who had 'outstanding' performances. "They also have players and that's what makes the Premier League so strong this season," the Liverpool boss explained. "I think they're 16th or 17th in the league but I can name you one or two players that could easily have played with us today as well in terms of quality. "That is what the Premier League is about. And they used them more and more in the second half, these two quality players. And they have more, but I think Paqueta and Kudus were outstanding today, especially second half." Slot came up against Kudus when the Ghanaian forward played in the Eredivisie while one of his assistant managers, John Heitinga , coached him during his time at Ajax . Kudus, 24, has previously been linked with a move to Anfield but Mo Salah's decision to sign a new two-year contract has changed the landscape. As for Paqueta, the Brazilian is at the centre of a betting scandal. The FA are seeking a lifetime ban for the 27-year-old midfielder after he was charged with breaching gambling rules in May 2024. Are Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta good enough to play for Liverpool? Have your say in the comments section . Paqueta has scored two goals under Potter, both of which came in the ex-Brighton and Chelsea manager's first couple of matches in January. Potter felt 'devastated' for his players after their dramatic loss on Sunday but insists that there are plenty of positives to take. "It was a really strong performance; probably the best performance we've had," he surmised. "The balance between defence and attack was really good over the course of the game. "I think we suffered at the start. It was an emotional atmosphere, and Liverpool came out with big intensity, moved the ball fast and it was difficult for us. "At the same time, we stuck in there and were resilient, and that has't always been the case. And we grew into the game, I thought, in the last part of the first half. We had some opportunities and hit the bar." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice .