Leeds United black cat theory as Sunderland are gifted point by Meslier — Graham Smyth's Verdict — YEP 5/10/24

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United picked up five points from a week that suggested if it weren't for bad luck then they would have no luck at all.

You wait weeks for an attacking central midfielder to appear in the starting line-up and then two come along at once. Losing both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev to serious knee injuries in the space of a few days was further evidence that if something insane can happen in football, it will happen to Leeds United. Ampadu, the club captain, won't play until January at the earliest. Gruev requires surgery and is looking at months, not weeks.

Out with the defensive midfielders went the debate about the profile of Daniel Farke's midfield and whether or not it needed a more forward-thinking presence. In came forward-thinking duo Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell and a concern that the midfield will now cry out for a stopper.

Given that it hasn't just rained but absolutely bucketed on Leeds over the past week - Max Wober also had to go for knee surgery - the sight of Tanaka and Rothwell both getting off the coach at the Stadium of Light was one for sore eyes. Isaac Schmidt, back from a glute issue that kept him out of the Norwich City draw, was a welcome addition to a squad now being propped up by teenagers Charlie Crew, James Debayo and Sam Chambers.

What lies beneath the starting XI will come under serious scrutiny between now and January, especially in terms of the midfield, but at the very least Farke still has options for a handful of positions. He exercised his right and his ability to refresh things up top at Sunderland, replacing Mateo Joseph with Joel Piroe.

Tanaka had to go in strongly four times in the opening minute and twice in the second, which was the earliest of indications as to how busy a night it was going to be for the Japan international.

Sunderland out of possession resembled a parked bus, with little to no intention of pressing the ball. But with possession the hosts were dangerous, passing it crisply and quickly. They had already forged a good shooting chance for Jobe Bellingham, which was squandered, before they took a ninth-minute lead. Quick, short passing unlocked Leeds again and with Tanaka and Jayden Bogle caught napping, Chris Rigg fired in after Illan Meslier had pushed an initial effort onto the post.

The goal rattled Leeds, who creaked a little in the immediate aftermath, but they soon started to control possession. And though Sunderland defended comfortably enough to begin with, restricting the visitors to wayward long-range speculative efforts from Largie Ramazani, they were soon creaking too as Leeds began to find ways through.

Patience in possession was punctuated by direct running or passing and it brought chances for exactly the man you would want to be on the end of them. Brenden Aaronson's pass through the area was flicked by Piroe but not goalwards. Rothwell's sprayed diagonal into the box was volleyed by Piroe, against a Sunderland body. But when Willy Gnonto looked up and curled a beauty of a ball it was headed home clinically by the Dutchman and Leeds were level.

Then they were rampant, defending on the front foot to unsettle Sunderland, who coughed up possession easily and repeatedly. Chances kept coming, but going. Aaronson got in Firpo's way eight yards out. Ramazani headed wide from Bogle's cut-back. Gnonto blasted over the top. And in the midfield it was Rothwell dictating with incisive passing.

It wasn't quite the level of control Leeds are accustomed to, though, and when Sunderland did break the spell they remembered how to be dangerous. Patrick Roberts was given enough room to get a shot off, Meslier saving at his near post. Jobe Bellingham found way too much space in a central area and got two shots off, Joe Rodon deflecting the first wide and the second missing the target. Defensively, Leeds' midfield were being dictated to and reaching the break level felt relatively fair.

The pressure on Leeds continued early in the second half and even if Meslier was untroubled, Sunderland threatened a breakthrough. But you wait all season to concede a goal at home and then two come along at once. Ramazani's dogged determination to keep the ball and force it left allowed Firpo to gallop forward, exchange passes with Gnonto and stroke in Leeds' second against the run of play.

What followed was a disciplined and almost note-perfect rendition of a tune played by other teams against Leeds. Sitting in, digging in, digging deep and defending. When the chance came to counter, they sprinted forward.

Gnonto continued to shine by running the ball away from his own area and baiting defenders into yellow card worthy challenges that bought Leeds some time to breath and respite for weary legs. Sunderland kept pressing and Leeds kept them out. Tanaka kept the ball to take the sting out of the game and time kept ticking away.

And time was up, it was done and the game was won, when Sunderland scored. How to even describe or explain the equaliser? It wasn't so much the last kick of the game but the last miskick of the game and somehow it bounced past a wrong-footed or wrong-minded Meslier and into the net. The Sunderland fans who had remained beyond the regulation 90 minutes went wild. Joe Rodon went to ground in despair. Firpo went straight down the tunnel at full-time, such was his anger, while the Black Cats celebrated a scarcely believable, gifted point.

Whether a freak bounce off the turf or a complete and unforgivable lapse in concentration, there was little doubt that Meslier had the win in his gloves and let it slip past him. Catch it, kick it, kill it. Get anything on it, in fact, and the 2,000 Leeds fans up in the gods are celebrating a seven-point week.

It was a moment beyond explanation for Farke and enough to make you wonder if he had run over a whole family of black cats at some point in the last week. When your luck is out, it really is out. The German spoke of his disappointment for the players and his pride at their performance in the context of the adversity they had faced. They did so much and came so close. But when you wait 96-plus minutes to celebrate three points and then throw away two at once, it will hurt for some time.