Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool came under even more scrutiny after his side collapsed from 2–0 up to draw 3–3 against a spirited Leeds United, missing the opportunity to pull level with fourth-placed Chelsea. The result adds to a frustrating week for the Reds, who were held to a 1–1 draw by Sunderland in midweek after a late Florian Wirtz deflection rescued a point.
Softfootball understands that the pre-match headlines focused on Mohamed Salah, who was benched for a third straight Premier League game, but Liverpool initially coped well without him. They dominated the early tempo, and Curtis Jones came closest in the opening 15 minutes, curling a superb effort off the crossbar.
Leeds, coming off a famous 3–1 win over Chelsea earlier in the week, set up in a deep five-man defence under Daniel Farke but offered almost nothing going forward as they spent most of the half camped in their own territory.
Liverpool controlled possession but struggled with a familiar problem: chance creation. Despite their pressure, they failed to register a shot on target before the break—just like Leeds—leaving both managers with plenty to rethink after a passive opening period.
Neither opted for halftime changes, but Slot’s decision paid off almost instantly. A misplaced Leeds pass released Hugo Ekitike through on goal, and the Frenchman coolly slotted into the bottom corner. Two minutes later, he was at it again, reacting sharply to Conor Bradley’s delivery to fire in his second and put Liverpool in full command at 2–0.
But Leeds’ response was explosive, With 20 minutes remaining, Ibrahima Konaté’s reckless challenge on Wilfried Gnonto prompted Anthony Taylor to award a penalty after VAR review. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted confidently scoring against a traditional top-six club for the second straight weekend to spark belief around Elland Road.
Just moments later, Anton Stach cut inside from the left and drilled a fierce shot inside the near post to level the match at 2–2.
Liverpool struck back against the run of play when a clever dummy from Alexis Mac Allister set up Dominik Szoboszlai, who strode into the box and restored the visitors’ lead with a composed finish. But Leeds refused to fold, throwing bodies forward in search of a dramatic equaliser.
Their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time. In the 96th minute, Ao Tanaka arrived unmarked at the far post to smash home a thrilling late leveller, sending Elland Road into chaos and leaving Slot with even more uncomfortable questions to answer.
After the game, Leeds took to its official X handle, to share the reaction of Ao Tanaka who scored late to secure a point for the whites. They posted:
Liverpool leave Yorkshire with a point that feels like two lost, while Leeds pick up a crucial result that keeps their survival hopes alive just days after their stunning victory over Chelsea.
