Liverpool suffered another damaging collapse on Saturday, piling further pressure on manager Arne Slot as Leeds twice came from behind to claim a dramatic 3–3 draw at Elland Road.
The Reds led 2–0 and later 3–2 through Hugo Ekitike’s quickfire brace and a Dominik Szoboszlai strike, yet still failed to close out the match, extending their miserable run to just two wins in their last 10 Premier League games.
Slot’s continued trust in Ibrahima Konaté is likely to come under renewed scrutiny after the French defender conceded the penalty that sparked Leeds’ revival.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the spot, and Anton Stach soon levelled with a fierce effort before Szoboszlai briefly restored Liverpool’s advantage.
But deep into stoppage time, Liverpool again buckled under pressure from a corner, allowing Ao Tanaka to ghost unmarked to the far post and smash in the equaliser.
The draw leaves Liverpool stuck in eighth place and showing little sign of reversing a steep decline since lifting a record-equalling 20th league title last season.
Slot made bold selection calls, starting Ekitike ahead of club-record signing Alexander Isak and leaving Mohamed Salah on the bench for a third straight match.
Leeds, lifted by a morale-boosting 3–1 win over Chelsea in midweek which eased pressure on manager Daniel Farke, edged three points clear of the relegation zone with another valuable result.
Curtis Jones struck the crossbar in the first half, but the match exploded into life after the break. Leeds gifted Liverpool the opener when Joe Rodon’s loose pass allowed Ekitike to slot past Lucas Perri. The French forward then bundled in a second moments later, his pressure forcing Perri to push the ball against him and into the net.
Ekitike, the lone bright spot among Liverpool’s nearly £450 million outlay in the transfer market, now has eight goals for the club despite reduced minutes since Isak’s return from injury.
But at the other end, Liverpool’s defensive frailties resurfaced. Konaté rashly lunged in on Willy Gnonto near the byline, and after a VAR check, Leeds were awarded a penalty. Calvert-Lewin converted emphatically, and within seconds Stach punished slack marking to fire in a superb equaliser.
Leeds pushed for a winner, only to be caught out moments later. Szoboszlai capitalised on Alexis Mac Allister’s clever dummy to curl into the far corner and restore Liverpool’s lead.
Yet the Reds still could not hold on. With virtually the final action, Tanaka pounced from a corner to secure a deserved point for the hosts.
AFP
