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Walking to Elland Road from town, piss wet through and coughing up glow in the dark phlegm, I contemplated watching Daniel Farke’s chaotic Whites from the comfort of a warm pub, or even TSB headquarters. “But sure we’ve already had Wednesday?” I tried to convince myself, but the magnetism of Leeds United facing Liverpool under the lights in LS11 was just too great to ignore.
They couldn’t again, could they? They almost bloody did, coming from behind twice to draw 3-3. Farke came into this week staring down the barrel of a publicly discussed sacking, needing positive results from matches against Chelsea and/or Liverpool. Two games, four points and a whole lot of heart shown to fight back from being behind twice, it’s just shy of being a Christmas miracle.
Despite Leeds’ best efforts to replicate their lightning start from Wednesday night, a much maligned Liverpool side appeared to have the quality and, more importantly, confidence to weather whatever storm Leeds had to offer, a pattern that continued for most of the game.
Leeds made two changes from the side that hammered Chelsea, with Ilia Gruev in for a “tired” Ao Tanaka and Noah Okafor replacing the injured Lukas Nmecha. Okafor’s promising cameo against Chelsea had fans hoping he could cause the shaky Liverpool defence problems. But Leeds spent most of the first half lobbing balls towards the head of Virgil Van Dijk, the defender famous for being aerially dominant and running referees.
Despite this match being top billing on Match of the Day, the first half highlights were chopped to a mere two minutes in which Liverpool’s Curtis Jones hit the crossbar and Van Dijk missed a header from a free-kick after Gabriel Gudmundsson was booked for a tasty challenge on Conor Bradley.
Everything seemed to be going for Liverpool: the bounce of the ball and, most notably, several head-scratching decisions from Anthony Taylor. Goalless at half-time, Leeds were relieved more than anything. Hopes of overwhelming Liverpool as they had Chelsea quickly dissipated and they spent most of the first half holding on and showing their opponent a little too much respect.
All Leeds had to do was nothing silly in the second half and they’d be in with a chance of a well-earned point. Within five minutes of the restart, Liverpool were 2-0 up. Hugo Ekitike cost £80m this summer but had been kept mostly quiet throughout the first half, then a rare Joe Rodon mistake gifted him a way into the game. Rodon played a simple square pass behind Ethan Ampadu, allowing Ekitike to run in and score.
I nipped out for a toilet break the second that goal went in, confident I wouldn’t miss anything as I approached the urinals with the efficiency of a Formula 1 pit stop, only to then hear a group of lads huddled around the TV on the concourse singing: “We’re Leeds United, we’re staying down here.” Ekitike had scored again and the optimism of Wednesday night evaporated quickly.
Questions were asked of the 3-5-2, the manager and the players after another game in which Leeds conceded at the start of the second half. The system didn’t seem to be working, both strikers were shut down and the midfield weren’t offering much by way of creativity. So Farke did what few expected him to — he changed things up, moving back to a 4-3-3. Jaka Bijol came off for Brenden Aaronson — who bizarrely entered to a chorus of boos — while Wilf Gnonto replaced the ineffective Okafor and Ao Tanaka was introduced in place of Gruev to give Leeds’ attack the boot up the hole it so desperately needed. The first action after the changes saw Lucas Perri make an important save from Cody Gakpo to prevent a third Liverpool goal, and he made another from Van Dijk later in the game.
Then Gnonto linked up with Anton Stach down the left flank and dribbled into the box only for Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate to come flying in. Referee Taylor didn’t point to the spot initially, for some inexplicable reason, but reviewed the VAR call and gave a penalty for a “careless challenge”. Not only was it surprising to see a call overturned for Leeds against Liverpool, but the PA system inside Elland Road actually worked. “I want to score goals for these normal blokes from West Yorkshire,” Dominic Calvert-Lewin said in the match programme, and that he did, stepping up to slot the penalty past Alisson. 2-1 in the 73rd minute, game on.
Elland Road had lift off, much like in the 4-2 defeat against Manchester United in February 2022, when Leeds scored in consecutive moments to make it 2-2. Liverpool gave the ball away in midfield only two minutes after Calvert-Lewin’s goal and Leeds immediately looked to attack. Aaronson appeared miles from his right wing and played a one-two with Gnonto before running directly at the Liverpool defence and playing the perfect pass to Stach, who somehow managed to evade the nine defenders in the penalty area and score.
Like the professional I am, I took a quick break from shaking those around me to make a quick note: I think this club might kill us all. When Liverpool broke with intent five minutes later and made it 3-2, the point still stood. Or maybe it was the hope, and not the club. Alexis MacAllister’s deft dummy fooled Gudmundsson and allowed Dominik Szoboszlai a clear shot on goal. Order restored with a big kick in the balls, just when we were starting to dream of a winner.
Farke continued to try and change things in the final ten minutes, first bringing Joel Piroe on for Ethan Ampadu and then replacing Jayden Bogle with the lesser spotted Sebastiaan Bornauw, who was immediately sent to stand on Van Dijk’s toes as a makeshift centre-forward.
Five minutes into the nine added on, Leeds won a corner. Stach floated it in, Calvert-Lewin attacked it and it popped to an unmarked Ao Tanaka at the back post — he did the rest with a typically calm finish. And that’s where the zen ended. Elland Road’s atmosphere has been a little flat at times this season, but these past two matches served as a reminder that no ground in England comes close to it under the lights. It probably helps that Leeds came from behind twice and equalised in the 96th minute to take an incredible 3-3 draw.
The result and circumstances surrounding it should fill the Peacocks with confidence. In a league where analysis reigns supreme, it’s quite remarkable that there wasn’t a note about Tanaka drifting to the back post at corners. Goals against Sheffield United and Bristol City this calendar year from the exact same position would suggest he’s something of a threat.
This time last week, Leeds were in the bottom three and Farke was probably getting quotes from removal companies. The night ended with Leeds outside the relegation zone, ticking along at their desired one point per game and the press were even treated to a Mo Salah meltdown in the mixed zone after spending another night on the substitutes’ bench. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus,” he said. “That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.”
Meanwhile, the Leeds manager was talking about a day off on Sunday with his trademark coffee and cake, and maybe even having a pint or two on Saturday evening, the picture of serenity after a week that was unforgettable and exhausting in equal proportions. It’s a mad old game, and this is a mad old club. Never change. Although a calm 2-0 win next week would be a welcome change of pace — if only for the sake of everyone’s health.
(Photograph by News Images LTD, via Alamy)
