LATE COLLAPSE: LEEDS SNATCH 3-3 LIVERPOOL DRAW, INTENSIFYING ARNE SLOT PRESSURE
Liverpool blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2 against Leeds, resulting in a damaging 3-3 draw. This latest failure adds significant pressure to manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool had another tough game, adding pressure on their manager, Arne Slot. Leeds came back twice to tie the score 3-3 on Saturday.
Liverpool was ahead 2-0 and then 3-2, thanks to Hugo Ekitike's two quick goals and Dominik Szoboszlai's score. But they still couldn't close out the game. They have not won any of their last 8 league matches.
Slot's choice to trust Ibrahima Konate might be questioned again. The defender gave away a penalty, which started Leeds' comeback.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the penalty, and Anton Stach tied the game. Soon after, Szoboszlai put Liverpool back in the lead.
But late in stoppage time, Liverpool didn't handle a corner well, and Ao Tanaka scored unmarked.
With this tie, Liverpool is in eighth place and doesn't appear to be improving after winning their 20th title last season.
"It's unbelievable," Slot said. We played well for most of the game and were up 2-0.
It's not about me; it's about us and the fans. The players have put in a lot of work, and giving up another goal from a set-piece—the 10th or 11th this season—means we can't be higher in the standings.
Slot chose to start Ekitike over Alexander Isak, and Mohamed Salah was on the bench for the third game in a row.
Leeds was feeling good after their 3-1 victory over Chelsea. This recent tie gives them a bit of space away from being relegated.
Getting through this week with these performances and points is great for the team, Farke said.
It's just one point, but the team gains more than that. It feels like a win.
Curtis Jones almost scored in the first half, but his shot hit the crossbar.
Leeds made mistakes early in the second half. Ekitike took advantage of a bad pass by Joe Rodon to score.
Ekitike then scored again after Conor Bradley's cross, with the ball bouncing off the goalkeeper's attempted save.
Ekitike has been performing well, despite Liverpool spending almost £450 million during the transfer window.
The striker now has eight goals for Liverpool, even with limited playtime since Isak's return.
However, Leeds got a break due to Liverpool's poor defence.
Konate made a bad tackle on Willy Gnonto, and Leeds was given a penalty after a review 17 minutes before the end of the game.
Calvert-Lewin scored, and soon after, Leeds tied the game.
Stach had too much space and scored a powerful goal.
But Leeds got too aggressive, and Liverpool quickly responded when Szoboszlai scored after Alexis Mac Allister's pass.
IBRAHIMA KONATé NEARS OFFICIAL LONG-TERM CONTRACT EXTENSION, SECURING FUTURE AT LIVERPOOL
Ibrahima Konaté confirms he is close to signing a new Liverpool contract, securing his future amid a major squad overhaul.
Ibrahima Konaté is set to sign a new long-term deal with Liverpool, finally putting all the rumours about his future to rest.
His contract was up this summer, and people kept linking him to clubs like Real Madrid. But after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday, Konate made it clear he never planned to leave. He’s become a regular since joining from RB Leipzig, and he told reporters negotiations with the club have been going on for a while. Now, the agreement’s almost done.
“We’ve been talking with the club for a long time,” Konate said, according to the Liverpool Echo. “We’re close. Honestly, I think everyone wanted this, and we’re nearly there. There’s a good chance I’ll be here next season; that’s what I always wanted.”
He’s just waiting for the paperwork to go through, but once it’s official, he’s sure sporting director Richard Hughes will be happy to share what Konate told him months ago.
“It’s taken a while, yeah, but that’s how negotiations go,” he added. “Just like with Van Dijk and Mo Salah last season, they signed in April. Maybe this is just how the club handles these things.”
Liverpool is set for a big summer change. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are both expected to leave after nearly a decade, and van Dijk is now in the last year of his contract as he approaches 35. Naturally, there's a lot of talk about who steps up as leader in the dressing room next.
The club has already lined up some fresh faces. Jeremy Jacquet, the £60 million centre-back from Rennes, is on his way, and promising defender Giovanni Leoni is working his way back from an ACL injury he picked up last September.
Konate turns 27 next month, and he’s ready to step up and help lead the club into a new era. “I already act as a leader for the younger guys, for my own generation, everyone, really,” he said. “That’s just part of football. The legends move on, and then it’s our turn. I’ve been preparing for this for years, and especially over the last few months.”
“It’s a big responsibility, though. I can’t do it all alone. I’ll need everyone’s help.”
He also mentioned once more that he hopes people go and hear Richard Hughes’s side of the contract talks, saying, “Just wait till it’s all sorted, then ask him what I told him months ago before all the noise started.”
It’s been a tough season for Konate. Liverpool’s form has been erratic; they’ve lost 17 games in all competitions, including 10 in the league. Off the field, things have been even harder; Konate lost his father in January. He admits the last few months have been rough both personally and on the pitch. Still, he’s keeping positive and looking forward to what’s next, for himself and for Liverpool.
MAMARDASHVILI STRETCHERED OFF: LIVERPOOL TURN TO THIRD-CHOICE WOODMAN FOR DERBY GLORY
Liverpool wins 2-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Arne Slot praises debutant Woodman after Mamardashvili injury.
Arne Slot shared that Giorgi Mamardashvili had to be taken to the hospital after suffering an injury, which unexpectedly handed Freddie Woodman his debut in the Merseyside derby for Liverpool.
Mamardashvili left the pitch on a stretcher following extensive treatment for a leg wound caused during Everton’s equaliser by Beto, while Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring earlier at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Stepping in once more for the hampered Alisson Becker, Mamardashvili was replaced by Woodman, who managed to keep a clean sheet as Liverpool clinched a dramatic victory thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time header in the 248th derby.
With both Alisson's and Mamardashvili’s recoveries uncertain, it looks like Woodman could be gearing up for his first Premier League start at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the same team against which he made his Liverpool debut in the League Cup defeat last October.
Slot commented, “Giorgi had to go to the hospital with a big wound, so we’ll have to wait and see how he’s doing.
“But Freddie deserves a lot of credit. Coming in just after conceding the equaliser, when the crowd was already expecting an Everton goal, he really stepped up.
“He stayed composed at a tricky moment, when he hesitated about whether to catch the ball, but kept his nerves steady.
“Freddie’s worked hard for this chance. Usually third-choice goalkeepers don’t get many opportunities, but given how this season has unfolded, anyone playing even in the under-8s at Liverpool should be ready to make their debut; it’s quite something to witness.”
Liverpool had already been without Hugo Ekitike and Joe Gomez, who played against Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday. Slot named only eight players on the bench for the Everton match, including academy goalkeeper Armin Pecsi.
He added, “Is there anything surprising about the injury situation this season? Maybe not, since I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which isn't typical. But of course, it’s related to the availability of other positions as well.
“Freddie did a great job.”
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