Leeds United and Liverpool shared a frantic 3-3 draw at Elland Road, a match packed with momentum swings, a penalty, and a dramatic late equaliser.
At 0-0 heading into the second half, few expected the explosion of goals that followed. Liverpool looked to have taken command almost instantly after the restart, with Hugo Ekitike striking twice in quick succession to give the visitors a strong advantage.
Leeds, however, refused to let the game slip away. A clumsy challenge from Ibrahima Konate gifted the home side a penalty, confidently converted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Not long after, Anton Stach pounced to bring Leeds level and send the crowd into full voice.
Liverpool thought they had finally killed the contest when Dominik Szoboszlai fired home in the 80th minute. But Elland Road had one last roar left in it, as Ao Tanaka netted deep into injury time to snatch a point and cap off a wildly entertaining encounter.
Gary Neville asks Liverpool to copy Leeds United
The former Manchester United defender is not exactly popular at either Liverpool or Leeds. However, he has a novel advice for Arne Slot to get his team out of the whole.
He stressed that he is not ready to believe Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike cannot play together and believes that, as a striker duo, they can be a nightmare for any defence.
Neville feels Liverpool should do what Leeds have done, play them both up front and change the shape of the team to get the best out of two strikers who cost the club more than £220m in the summer.
“How can I sit here and say the two players shouldn’t play with each other when they are both worth £220m?”, Neville said on Sky Sports.
“They should be able to combine and cause nightmares together, but I don’t think Arne Slot sees it that way.
“I think he sees Wirtz and Isak, or Wirtz and Ekitike.
“I don’t rule it out if they can play a tight midfield, you want two upfront, just what Leeds have done.
“They play with a five, but why not? Get them up running in the channels, run in behind and let them be a nightmare.”
Farke deserves immense credit
During the break at the Etihad last weekend, Farke seemed like a dead man walking. His team were 2-0 down and were staring at a fourth straight defeat.
The Leeds boss seemed destined for the sack. However, he had one last trick up his sleeve, and the German introduced his 5-3-2 system in the second half at the Etihad.
Manchester City needed a late Phil Foden goal to rescue all three points. However, Farke had discovered a system that worked for his players, and Leeds just went on from there.
The new formation won them the Chelsea game at home 3-1, and produced another gritty performance to get a 3-3 draw against Liverpool on Saturday.
| Match | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent (Date) | Man City — Sat 29 November | Chelsea — Wed 3 December | Liverpool — Sat 6 December |
| Attempts | 5 | 14 | 12 |
| Shots on target | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Goals | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Result | L 3-2 | W 3-1 | D 3-3 |
Farke has come back from the brink, and for a manager who has been criticised for being predictable, the Leeds boss’s technical flexibility must be lauded.
