Leeds 3–3 Liverpool: Tanaka’s Late Strike Extends Slot’s Turbulent Run in Six-Goal Thriller

Liverpool’s season of stumbles continued at Elland Road as Arne Slot’s side twice let a lead slip, conceding a 96th-minute equaliser to Ao Tanaka in a breathless 3–3 draw that leaves the champions stuck in a cycle they cannot seem to break.

For Leeds, the point capped a remarkable week in which they took four points from Chelsea and Liverpool in the space of four days — a return that felt almost unthinkable when Daniel Farke’s job security was being questioned just a fortnight ago. For Liverpool, however, it was another chapter in a story that is becoming painfully familiar.

Slot’s men controlled long spells of the game, enjoyed 55.3% possession, created 27 touches in the Leeds box, and registered the higher xG (1.81 to 1.51). Yet the same patterns that have haunted them all season reappeared: lapses of concentration, vulnerability under pressure, and a fragility in key moments that no amount of possession can disguise.

Salah Benched Again as Slot Rolls the Dice

For the third match in a row, Slot left Mohamed Salah out of the starting XI — a decision that will only add fuel to speculation after the Egyptian reportedly voiced frustration after full-time.

Dominik Szoboszlai again operated from the right in a 4-2-3-1, with Gakpo, Wirtz, and Ekitike forming the attack behind an initially fluid Liverpool front line. The Reds had controlled moments in the first half, with Curtis Jones striking the woodwork, but failed to test Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri with any consistency.

Slot admitted afterwards that such spells of dominance without reward have become a damaging habit:

“It’s not the first time we’ve dropped points. Not the first time we’ve conceded late. The ones to blame are us.”

Ekitike’s Double Sparks Chaos

Liverpool were handed a gift just three minutes after the restart when Joe Rodon’s misplaced pass put Hugo Ekitike through on goal. The Frenchman produced a brilliant first touch to beat Ethan Ampadu and finished confidently for his first league goal since September.

His second — a bundled instinctive finish from close range — made him the first Liverpool player this season to score twice in a single Premier League match. For a team desperate for cutting edge, Ekitike was a rare positive:

Two goals, seven shots on target for Liverpool overall, but still only one point.

Yet Leeds refused to fold. A rash challenge from Ibrahima Konaté on Wilfried Gnonto handed the hosts a penalty, coolly converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin for his third goal in three games. Within minutes, Elland Road erupted again as Anton Stach drove Leeds level after Liverpool’s defensive line switched off.

Slot bemoaned the collapse:

“We were in control at 2–0. Then we made it a chance for them. And once again, a set-piece hurts us.”

Szoboszlai Restores the Lead — Briefly

When Szoboszlai swept home Liverpool’s third with ten minutes remaining, Slot’s side looked to have rescued the narrative of the night. But the fragility Gary Neville later described as “a mystery you just can’t trust” reappeared in stoppage time.

Leeds forced one final corner in the 96th minute, and Tanaka — unmarked at the back post — drilled home the equaliser as Liverpool’s players sank to their knees. Farke’s verdict summed up the mood inside Elland Road:

“It feels a bit like a win tonight. Spirit, togetherness, flexibility — the lads can take a lot from this.”

A Result With Consequences

Liverpool have now won just four of their last fifteen league matches. Slot collected only five of the seven points Jamie Carragher publicly claimed he needed from the West Ham, Sunderland, and Leeds fixtures.

Viewed statistically, Liverpool were again their own worst enemy:

• 17 tackles won, but conceded three goals
• 28 clearances, yet punished by a late set-piece
• xG from open play: 1.60, but allowed Leeds to generate danger from only 19 touches in their box
• 112.9 km covered, less than Leeds’ 115.7 km, a small but telling margin

Farke’s side, meanwhile, move three points clear of the relegation zone — a remarkable turnaround for a squad that looked exhausted earlier in the week.

Conclusion

In isolation, a 3–3 draw away from home in a hostile Elland Road atmosphere might not feel disastrous. But this result fits into a far wider pattern: Liverpool score enough to win games, but concede at moments no champion should.

Slot sounded exasperated because he has seen this script before. Liverpool show promise. Liverpool take control. Liverpool collapse. And until that cycle breaks, their season cannot move forward.

Elland Road celebrated like they’d won. Liverpool left feeling like they’d lost — and given the stakes, maybe they did.