Arne Slot may have felt a familiar sense of dread as the clock ticked into stoppage time at Elland Road. With his Liverpool side clinging to a narrow 3-2 lead, the assistant referee's board signalled nine added minutes, and the manager's fears were soon realised in dramatic, costly fashion.
Elland Road Agony as Late Lead Evaporates
For the second time in the match, Liverpool appeared to have secured victory. Hugo Ekitike's quickfire double early in the second half had seemingly put the visitors in control, before Dominik Szoboszlai's 80th-minute strike restored their advantage after a stunning Leeds fightback. Yet, in the sixth minute of added time, the house of cards built by Slot's team collapsed once more.
A succession of late Leeds corners culminated in a moment of costly hesitation from goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Brazilian hesitated under a high ball, and substitute Ao Tanaka pounced to drill home a 93rd-minute equaliser, snatching a 3-3 draw for Daniel Farke's spirited side. The result leaves Liverpool languishing outside the Champions League places, their title defence already under severe strain.
A Rollercoaster of a Contest
The match was a tale of wild momentum swings. Liverpool, looking vulnerable from the outset against Leeds' energetic start, were utterly dominant after the break. Ekitike capitalised on two catastrophic defensive errors, first from Joe Rodon and then from a loose pass on the right, to fire Liverpool into a commanding position with goals in the 47th and 50th minutes.
Leeds, however, roared back. The introduction of Wilfried Gnonto changed the game, winning a 70th-minute penalty which Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted. Just two minutes later, another substitute, Brenden Aaronson, set up Anton Stach to smash home an equaliser, sending Elland Road into raptures.
Szoboszlai's fine finish, set up by a clever Ryan Gravenberch pass, looked to have won it for Liverpool, but their inability to see out the game proved fatal. The late concession means Liverpool have now taken just four points from their last three league games, following a win at West Ham with draws against newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds.
Mounting Pressure on Slot's Regime
While Slot can point to a three-game unbeaten run since dismal home defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV, the nature of this collapse will raise serious questions. The draw compounds a worrying trend of failing to manage games and protect leads. For Leeds, the point caps a superb week, having also defeated Chelsea, and demonstrates their growing resilience under Farke.
Slot now faces a critical UEFA Champions League trip to Milan with his team in desperate need of a fundamental change. The margins at the top of the Premier League are excruciatingly tight, and Liverpool, the defending champions, continue to fall on the wrong side of them. The unthinkable—a manager sacked months after winning the title—remains a distant prospect, but performances like this will only shorten the patience of the Anfield faithful.
