Leeds United 3 Liverpool 3: United's 'week from hell' yields four points and eight goals — and Daniel Farke in credit — Yorkshire Post 6/12/25

By Leon Wobschall

WHEN the Premier League fixtures were announced back in June, the notion that Liverpool boss Arne Slot would enter this particular game under more pressure than his Leeds United counterpart Daniel Farke would have been deemed as an incredulous proposition by virtually every football observer.

That he was, in fact, pointed to a rather intriguing top-flight season for once. It’s certainly been an interesting week or so which will see all teams negotiate three matchdays in a small window of time.

After a goalless first half, interesting was a very understated word to describe a madcap second half which saw six goals scored and Leeds rescue a last-gasp point courtesy of substitute Ao Tanaka as the roof came off Elland Road.

An early brace inside two minutes and ten seconds from Hugo Etikike seemingly provided succour for Slot.

A triple change revived Leeds wonderfully midway through the half. A VAR call got them back in the game following a clumsy challenge by Ibrahima Konate close to the byline on replacement Willy Gnonto.

Dominic Calvert Lewin got Leeds back in it and Anton Stach’s fabulous strike soon restored parity.

It was left to Dominic Szoboszlai to provide the balm. But Tanaka had other ideas.

Four points from Leeds’ supposed week from hell against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, then.

Everyone of a Whites persuasion would have gladly taken that ahead of City and few if anyone would have predicted an eight-goal return from Leeds.

Given Leeds’ efforts, Farke comes out with plenty of credit.

After the intensity, belligerence and full power of Leeds United was manifested magnificently on Wednesday night - the sort of occasion that Elland Road was made for - it was all about posting a repeat three nights on.

Leeds needed an in-your-face start and they got it, if not the goal they craved this time.

They got into Liverpool and made it uncomfortable and didn’t let them settle. As they cannot against these sorts of sides.

While Chelsea struggled to handle Leeds’ approach in the week, Liverpool showed that they were made of sterner stuff.

That said, the hosts still retained sufficient elements of menace when their half-opportunities came to perturb the visitors - and the goalless scoreline at the break was just fine as well.

Leeds’ biggest scare came on 17 minutes when the recalled Curtis Jones saw his cracking curler rattle the woodwork with Lucas Perri beaten.

Liverpool played parts of the half on their terms, complete with slow, deliberate build-up followed by bursts of energy. Leeds coughed up possession once or two, but weren’t cowed, emboldened by Chelsea. They were pretty competitive and in games against the likes of Liverpool, it’s usually about weathering some stormy periods at some point.

As for the other concerns of note? One arrived when Virgil van Dijk headed a good chance over by his standards from Szoboszlai’s free-kick and another came when ex-Leeds target Cody Gakpo cut inside and saw his deflected shot fly just wide after he was set free in oceans of space by Szoboszlai.

Earlier, Etitike’s shot also deflected just over.

Leeds’ start was particularly encouraging.

Pascal Struijk won a dominant header and Liverpool switched off with the recalled Noah Okafor, in for the injured Lukas Nmecha, dragging a decent opportunity wide before a half-volley from Gabriel Gudmundsson flew over and Okafor’s shot flew off target.

Heading into the second half, Leeds had to contend with having both full-backs on bookings against a Liverpool side who usually show their better side in the second half of matches if this season is anything to go by so far.

For their part, Liverpool had to contend with the fact that hosts were attacking their favoured Kop end, with the game very much live and the pressure being rather more on their shoulders.

While there was action in the first half, both Perri and his Brazilian compatriot Alisson Becker were not forced into any work. Surely that would change.

Soon after the restart, Perri was picking the ball out of the net as Leeds failed to heed the warnings of the recent game against Aston Villa here. And it got worse, sadly.

The beneficiary on both occasions was Etitike. First, courtesy of a dreadfully loose pass from Rodon and secondly, thanks to a combination of poor play from Struijk and then Gudmundsson.

Struijk’s pass put his mate in trouble. Gudmundsson’s attempted clearance was blocked by Conor Bradley with his goal bundled in by Ekitike. After a VAR check, it stood.

Liverpool’s end were soon singing Christmas songs and the noise around the rest of Elland Road was far quieter. The visitors had the match just where they wanted it.

Leeds needed something and a triple change arrived with the popular introduction of Tanaka and also Willy Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson as the hosts switched by to a four at the back.

Perri then prevented Liverpool from adding a third following a quick-fire counter, getting his angles right to make a full-stretch save to thwart Gakpo.

Leeds needed something and got it, courtesy of Calvert-Lewin. Suddenly the game was back in the melting point again in a dramatic week for United as the volume levels pumped up again and the voices were Yorkshire ones.

They were even louder soon after.

Probing play from substitute Aaronson found Stach, who weaved inside Jones before firing home a rasping drive.

A captivating second half then almost took another twist, with Perri making a brilliant save to claw away Van Dijk’s header.

And then there was a twist when Gravenberch’s pass was dummied delightfully by replacement Alexis Mac Allister and the onrushing Szoboszlai finished coolly in a big-looking moment for Mr Slot.

The second half was riotous fun. Leeds were not to be put down, with Tanaka firing home a downward shot at the far post following Stach’s corner.