Leeds United 2 Bournemouth 2: Missed chances cost Whites as cruel late twist follows fightback — YEP 27/9/25
By Lee Sobot
Leeds United took on Bournemouth at Elland Road in their
sixth game of their Premier League return.
Another late twist denied Leeds United their third win of
the Premier League season as Bournemouth struck a 93rd-minute leveller to
snatch a 2-2 draw from a Saturday afternoon Elland Road thriller.
Leeds squandered three great chances to go ahead and all of
them for striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin who was played in one-on-one within the
first minute.
Sean Longstaff's poke forward after a lovely Brenden
Aaronson flick sent the striker in on goal at an angle but his weak shot
looking for the far left corner was easily saved by Cherries keeper Djordje
Petrovic.
Bournemouth then began to threaten with Antoine Semenyo
quickly looking menacing but Ryan Christie could only smash two shots from the
edge of the box well over the crossbar.
Back came Leeds and Calvert-Lewin was again denied by
Petrovic in the 18th minute, the striker's attempt at a flicked finish from a
Longstaff shot back into the area saved after a fine initial cross from Gabi
Gudmundsson.
Incredibly, Calvert-Lewin was presented with another
glorious chance within the next minute, this time through a free header in the
middle of the box which the striker could only place straight at Petrovic from
Aaronson's hooked cross.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, continued to look a huge threat
whenever attacking and the Cherries were awarded a free kick in a very
dangerous area for an Anton Stach shove just outside the box in the 25th
minute.
It proved costly, Justin Kluivert and Semenyo standing over
the ball and Semenyo firing in a bullet low shot which flew under the Whites
wall and past Karl Darlow as every man in the wall jumped, the strike also
evading Brenden Aaronson who was laying down behind the wall.
Leeds produced a strong response and another opening came to
nothing as a fine cross from Noah Okafor flew through the box and Bournemouth
cleared.
Yet the Cherries had no answer a minute later as a firm Joe
Rodon header from a Longstaff corner drew Leeds level with 37 minutes on the
clock.
The goal sent Elland Road wild and the Whites quickly piled
forward in search of a second, Okafor storming into the box but Bournemouth
scrambling clear.
The Cherries then countered at pace but a threatening move
ended with Amine Adil shooting straight at Darlow and the half ended with a
melee after a late Tyler Adams tackle, referee Michael Oliver managing to sort
out the scrum without any cards.
There were no changes during the interval, after which Leeds
quickly pushed Bournemouth back but with the Cherries surviving a couple of
crosses into the box.
A strong tackle from Longstaff then saw the ball fall just
inside the box to Aaronson whose shot after a turn was deflected just wide.
Rodon again threatened at the corner, his header at the back
post deflected behind for another corner.
But Bournemouth couldn’t get out and heavy Leeds pressure
led to the Whites going ahead in the 54th minute through a fine strike from
Longstaff.
Gudmundsson initially did brilliantly to keep the ball in on
the byline before sending in a cross.
In a packed box, shots from both Okafor and Aaronson were
blocked but the second block fell to Longstaff who produced a lovely finish
with the outside of his boot that beat Petrovic in off the right hand post.
Longstaff was having a blinder and Petrovic needed to be
very alert to save his attempt at going for goal from a free kick out wide.
At the other end, a Whites defence well marshalled by Rodon
was holding firm and Rodon yet again threatened from another Longstaff corner
in the 66th minute.
In a crowded box, the ball dropped at the centre-back’s feet
and his low shot was saved by Petrovic who would have been in trouble had it
been either side of him.
Bournemouth, though, still remained a threat and substitute
Jack Harrison was beaten into the box by Cherries substitute David Brooks whose
shot was well saved by Darlow.
Within seconds, Harrison threatened at the other end, his
strike from distance forcing a good save from Petrovic and the winger fizzing
another effort wide as the end to end nature of the game continued.
After surviving a couple of Bournemouth corners, Leeds
threatened with another one of their own, Pascal Struijk this time winning a
header which he sent over the bar with 11 minutes left. Huge jeers then greeted
ex-Leeds man Adams whose afternoon to forget was ended when substituted with
eight minutes left.
Leeds weren’t yet home and hosed and Cherries substitute Eli
Kroupi squandered a good chance when firing a shot from inside the box into the
ground and straight at Darlow who saved.
But Rodon then had yet another chance with another header
from another corner at the other end, the centre-back like a magnet but sending
this attempt wide.
Back came the Cherries and there were nervy moments as a
90th-minute corner caused a scramble which was eventually ended as the Whites
were awarded a free-kick.
There were then more anxious looks inside Elland Road as
five minutes of added time were announced.
Leeds looked to be surviving them but Bournemouth had other
ideas the Cherries drew level in the third minute of added time as Leeds failed
to clear a free-kick, from which Eli Kroupi beat Darlow at close range.
