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.
MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER
After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?
Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.
Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.
In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.
Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.
There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.
At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.
WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?
Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.
Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.
But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.
Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.
Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.
He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”
Must Read
