Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier made a critical error that allowed Sunderland to level the match during second-half stoppage time after misplaying the ball. The mistake has been a hot topic of discussion since it happened last Friday.
The match started with Chris Rigg scoring in the ninth minute, putting Sunderland ahead 1-0. However, Leeds quickly responded, with Joël Piroe netting the equalizer in the 22nd minute.
The teams went into halftime tied at 1-1. Leeds took the lead again in the 56th minute when Junior Firpo scored, putting them in a good position to win. But in a dramatic turn of events during stoppage time, Meslier’s costly mistake allowed Sunderland to equalize.
Alan Browne’s cross deflected off Firpo’s head, and as Meslier tried to gather the ball, it slipped through his fingers and into the net, costing Leeds two points.
Did something strange happen to Illan Meslier?
BBC Leeds journalist Jonny Buchan suggests that Leeds might be unable to confirm whether Meslier’s mistake at the end of the draw with Sunderland was linked to a head injury he sustained earlier in the match.
Speaking on the podcast Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet, Buchan noted that “something strange happened” with the keeper, which led to him letting a seemingly harmless ball slip past him.
“He’s not a terrible keeper that would make that mistake,” Buchan stated (h/t MOT Leeds News). ” No one thought when that was going through to him, ‘Ooop Meslier…’. He’s not Kiko Casilla and the ball’s getting played back to him where you always had a bit of a bomb-scare worry didn’t you? I don’t get that with Illan.
“Therefore that does lead me to think something strange happened to him. Part of it’s probably him taking his eye off it so then he is to blame for it, but then there’s the spin there as well. It’s still his error but something else did occur there.
“What do we think about some people saying he got a bang to the head not long before? Did that have some part to play? The club could never even say that because that would say they allowed a player to play on with concussion, and I don’t think they’d do that anyway. So I don’t really buy people saying, ‘What about the bang to the head adding to it?’”
