Leeds 3-3 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

Jonathan Wilson was at Elland Road. Here’s his verdict. Thanks for reading this MBM.

Daniel Farke talks to Sky Sports. “It was difficult today … to get out of this week with these performances and this amount of points is great for the lads … you could feel against the ball we had the energy … whatever was thrown in our way we showed resilience … just a point but it feels a bit like a win … I am happy I can spend the weekend with coffee and cake on the sofa … nothing is achieved yet … but we should take lots of confidence out of this.”

Slot is then asked about Konate’s error that led to the penalty: “He tries to do everything to prevent a cross from coming … if you want to call it a mistake it’s a mistake from hard work, from trying … there was contact, that’s for sure.”

As for Mohamed Salah: “We have to accept the situation we are in and I made my choices based on that … the short-term future of Mo is that he goes in a week’s time to the African Cup of Nations … but before that we play Inter and Brighton.”

… and on the subject of turning Liverpool’s season around … “If you want to base it on what you have seen today … there is every reason to be very positive … but it’s also not for the first time that when we show positive things, there’s not a lot the other team needs to do to score a goal against us … that is what we have to fix … it gets harder and harder to address the positives when the results go against you so many times.”

Arne Slot talks to Sky Sports. “It’s not the first time we have dropped points … not the first time we have conceded a goal in the last minute … not the first time we have conceded a set piece … so everyone can understand what the mood is in the dressing room … 2-0 up, until that moment we have not conceded any chance … the penalty wasn’t a chance for them, but we made it a chance … 2-1, maybe their first chance of the game to go 2-2 … we showed mentality to go 3-2 up … after that I felt we had control … then a set piece comes in nine minutes of extra time … the only ones to blame is us … if you score three goals in an away game that should be enough.”

Post-match postbag. “There won’t probably be any other match resembling Liverpool’s condition to this degree. Great in attack, pack of cards in defence” – Rupak Pramanik

“Liverpool supporter from Chicago here. Before this season, we Reds feared we might lose Konate next summer to Real Madrid. At this point, I fear he may sign for Real Salt Lake” – Dave Berger

“Konate having bombed yet again, you have to wonder what Joe Gomez has to do to get a game in central defence?” – Jan Egil Romestrand

“For all the great decisions they’ve made over the years, selling Quansah will go down as one of the stupidest pieces of business the transfer committee has ever done’ – Graeme Neill

“Oh for the glory days of Kloppo’s heavy metal football. This ‘more controlled’ approach is in reality subdued and stripped of even latent energy. Is this really how Liverpool supporters wish to see their team play?” – Darryl Accone

“Where do you even start? Well, I’d say Liverpool and Wirtz need to go their separate ways asap for both parties’ sakes. It looks like even Slot is beginning to see the writing on the wall” – David Hindle

“To suggest that Wirtz is shying away from the ball because he can’t actually play is a truly bizarre take. As a Liverpool supporter in Germany, I am obviously quite biased, but the one thing that literally no one has disputed thus far is his quality on the ball. With Liverpool struggling to maintain a proper shape going forward, it’s completely normal that only the faster, more aggressive ball carriers like Szoboszlai and Ekitike have made a positive impression this season. I am confident that if our dystopian tactical nightmare ever gets sorted, it will be a different story” – Maximilian Sanderson

Dominik Szoboszlai, who was excellent tonight and has every right to look as frustrated as he does, speaks to Sky Sports. “I don’t know what happened after 2-0 … we thought that the game was over … this is the kind of game you can never underestimate the kind of team you are playing against … maybe after the penalty they had momentum … we came back … a good reaction … but conceding again from a set piece is not the nicest thing … after the 2-2 we showed a good reaction … our mentality … we knew we made a mistake in the way we let them come back … nothing to say about the result … what is in the dressing room stays in the dressing room, it’s not for the public … but we have to manage it and find solutions … you have to look at yourself … did you do everything that is possible? … if the answer is yes, then keep going and the momentum is gonna come … it’s hard to speak about it … last year we became champion, now I don’t even know which position we are … we have to find solutions and show reactions … everybody has to take responsibility … everybody … go on the pitch and show you are ready to fight for this badge.”

The point is enough to move Leeds above Nottingham Forest and into 16th spot. They’ll be extremely pleased to claim four points from two home games against Chelsea and Liverpool; throw in their staunch second-half display at Manchester City, and Daniel Farke’s side look on the right track in their bid to stay up. It’s been a great week for Leeds.

Not so much for Liverpool, though, as the reigning champions pass up the chance to move into fifth spot. Their position in the table looks a little bit less fraught, as their point lifts them to eighth, but that will feel like a big opportunity missed. To be fair, it’s now three games without defeat, after that run of nine losses in 12, but this is an awfully low bar to be setting for a team who started the season expecting to feature in the title race.

Leeds injury-time hero Ao Tanaka talks to Sky Sports. “The last two games … a fantastic atmosphere … we were losing but nobody ever gave up … this week we got four points and it’s good … we are still bottom but we have to be better … we go to the next game.”

Anton Stach adds: “I have goosebumps.”

Marching On Together blares out of the speakers. Leeds celebrate a well-earned draw. Every Leeds player put in a performance. Dominic Calvert-Lewin persistent, Wilfried Gnonto electric. They never gave up, and Daniel Farke’s substitutions turned the match. Arne Slot’s decision to shore things up midway through the second half, with his team in total command, doesn’t look so smart. Liverpool look slightly green around the gills, their defence having capitulated yet again. Hugo Ekitike and Dominik Szoboszlai were both magnificent, but they’ve been let down by their central defenders, both of whom were under par once more. The pressure on Arne Slot remains.

Liverpool thought they had it won, twice. Leeds weren’t having it, though!

90 min +10: Leeds take it to the corner.

90 min +9: Leeds win a throw down the right. No Ampadu to throw long this time. So they take it short and try to keep it in the corner. This draw will feel like a win, though Liverpool are surely there for the taking.

90 min +8: Elland Road is properly rocking. Their team has really done the club proud this week. First Chelsea, now this!

90 min +7: What moxie from Leeds! Up the other end, Kerkez curls in from the left. Isak guides a header across Perri and inches wide of the right-hand post. Is there another goal in this yet?!

The corner’s sent long from the left. Over everyone. The Liverpool defence fail to react. The ball drops to Tanaka, on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. Tanaka meets it first time, and bounces the ball across Alisson and into the left-hand side of the net. Elland Road erupts! Again!

90 min +5: A ball swung into the Liverpool mixer from the right. Gomez, under pressure from the lurking Calvert-Lewin, is forced to head behind for a corner. One corner leads to another, and …

90 min +4: Gary Neville isn’t letting the amount of stoppage time go. “Have I missed something?” he wonders aloud, with a hint of incredulity. But here we are, and play goes on.

90 min +3: Leeds make one last change, swapping out Bogle for Bornauw.

90 min +2: The ball nearly breaks to Calvert-Lewin, free on the penalty spot. Konate hooks a leg around the striker and pokes clear. Some redemption, though it turns out there had been a handball earlier in the move anyway. Konate wasn’t to know that, though. A dreadful mistake for the penalty, but let’s give fair measure.

90 min +1: Gomez goes into the book for a poorly timed lunge into the back of Gnonto.

90 min: There will be nine additional minutes. “I wasn’t expecting that,” says Gary Neville on Sky commentary, though VAR has had quite a bit of work to do, and there have been plenty of goals and subs.

89 min: Liverpool threaten to break three on two. Szoboszlai is cynically bodychecked by Struijk. The referee tries to play advantage, but it’s Gomez on the ball, and the attack quickly fizzles out, so it’s pulled back for a free kick on the halfway line … and a deserved booking for the Leeds man.

88 min: Some head tennis in the Liverpool box. Van Dijk does just about enough to win a duel with Calvert-Lewin, and Alisson claims. Leeds are serving notice that this game is far from done and dusted.

87 min: Leeds throw on another striker. Piroe for Ampadu.

86 min: Gnonto and Stach combine cutely down the left, in a move similar to the Leeds equaliser. But then Aaronson snatches at his shot, which bobbles towards the bottom left and is easily snaffled by Alisson.

85 min: The game gets scrappy. Not sure who that suits best at this juncture.

83 min: Liverpool make another double change, replacing Gakpo and the two-goal hero Ekitike with Endo and Isak.

81 min: Van Dijk is booked for kicking the ball in celebration and striking the referee. When the game restarts, Tanaka has a shot from distance that dribbles into the arms of Alisson. A real sense that the scoring is not over, one way or another.

Gravenberch advances down the left and rolls a pass infield. Mac Allister dummies, and suddenly Szoboszlai is free down the inside-right channel! He enters the box and calmly passes across Perri and into the bottom left. What a move! What a finish! What a response by Liverpool! What a match! Do Leeds have it in themselves to come again?

78 min: A free kick for Liverpool out on the left. Szoboszlai swings it into the mixer. Van Dijk aims a looping header towards the top left. It’s heading in, but Perri gets across to claw the ball out and away with a strong right hand. A fine header but the save was even better!

77 min: Hats off to Daniel Farke, whose substitutions have turned this game around! Arne Slot’s defensive changes not so clever.

… and Leeds are level in short order! Aaronson and Gnonto combine down the left, then feed Stach, who drops a shoulder to get into the Liverpool box. He wanders past a static Jones and lashes a shot into the top-left corner! Marvellous goal! Liverpool have imploded!

74 min: On the touchline, Arne Slot, who had made changes to see the game out, looks distinctly unimpressed with his team. And perhaps specifically Konate, who has needlessly thrown Leeds a lifeline out of nowhere.

73 min: … and now Bogle crosses low from the right, Calvert-Lewin and Gnonto inches away from poking into the bottom-right corner. Goal kick. Elland Road is jumping now!

Calvert-Lewin powers a rising penalty into the right-hand side of the net. It wasn’t perfectly placed, and Alisson nearly gets there, but it’s hit so hard the keeper had no chance. Game on!

72 min: “Liverpool five makes a careless challenge,” announces Anthony Taylor. Penalty kick! Awful, needless challenge by Konate, and a chance for Leeds to get back into this game!

71 min: The referee is asked to take a look at the monitor. Konate takes out Gnonto. This is going to be given.

70 min: Gnonto dribbles into the Liverpool box from the left. Konate comes sliding in, as the ball goes over the byline. Does he catch Gnonto? Perhaps. Probably, in fact. VAR is going to take a look.

69 min: That was exceptional work by Ekitike, though, who is looking like a proper player.

68 min: Before the corner is taken, Mac Allister and Gomez come on for Wirtz and Bradley. Then Konate slaps a header straight at Perri.