Arne Slot's troubles at Liverpool intensified after a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser from Leeds United's Ao Tanaka secured a 3-3 draw in a Premier League thriller at Elland Road on Saturday, 6 December 2025.
Dramatic Finale Denies Liverpool Victory
In a match of extraordinary twists, Liverpool twice surrendered leads to a spirited Leeds side. The visitors seemed poised for a crucial victory after coming from behind to lead 3-2, only for Japanese midfielder Ao Tanaka to strike at the death, sending the home fans into raptures. The result leaves Liverpool manager Arne Slot facing further scrutiny over his team's defensive frailties.
"There's a sense of disbelief," said a frustrated Slot after the match. "We're the only ones to blame. To go away with a 3-3, I don't think that's what we deserved." His contradictory statement summed up a chaotic evening where his side scored three times but were architects of their own downfall.
Leeds' Remarkable Resilience
For Leeds manager Daniel Farke, it was a night that reinforced his growing reputation. His team, following a narrow loss to Manchester City and a demolition of Chelsea, produced another fearless performance. "We had the ground rocking like no other ground in world football," Farke beamed. "Crazy, another magical night here at Elland Road."
The comeback was sparked by substitutes. After going 2-0 down to a quickfire Hugo Ekitike double for Liverpool inside three second-half minutes, Leeds fought back. Wilfried Gnonto, brought down for a penalty converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Brenden Aaronson, who set up Anton Stach's equaliser, changed the game.
Even after Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool's lead with a fine finish, Leeds refused to yield. The final twist came from another substitute, Ao Tanaka, who fired home from a corner in the sixth minute of added time. "Nobody gives up," said the match-winner, who also scored spectacularly against Chelsea earlier in the week.
Liverpool's Defensive Woes Exposed
Slot had set up his team with solidity in mind, but they cracked under pressure. He pinpointed a recurring theme in the goals conceded. "We have conceded from the same pattern," he lamented. The errors were individual and collective:
- A needless Ibrahima Konaté tackle conceded a penalty. Slot admitted the defender "has been a bit too much on the crime scene."
- Aaronson was allowed to drive unchecked into the box to set up Stach's goal.
- The late equaliser originated from a set-piece, a major weakness this season. "I don't think there is any team in the world that can be in a higher league position if you concede 10 set-piece [goals]," Slot stated.
Further questions were raised by Slot's team selection. Mohamed Salah remained an unused substitute, with Wataru Endo introduced late to shore up the midfield—a move that backfired as the game slipped away. In contrast, all three Leeds goals involved at least one of Farke's substitutes.
While Liverpool's three-game unbeaten run in the league offers a sliver of positivity after a dire run of six losses in seven, this felt like two points dropped. For Leeds, it was a deserved point earned through relentless spirit, leaving Elland Road believing another memorable season under Farke is unfolding.
