Arne Slot and Daniel Farke both blown away by ‘absolutely incredible’ player in Leeds United draw against Liverpool

Arne Slot and Daniel Farke both blown away by ‘absolutely incredible’ player in Leeds United draw against Liverpool

In a pulsating Premier League encounter at Elland Road on December 6, 2025, Leeds United salvaged a vital 3-3 draw against faltering champions Liverpool, thanks to substitute Ao Tanaka’s stoppage-time heroics. The Japanese midfielder’s 96th-minute poke from a corner denied Arne Slot’s Reds a much-needed victory, leaving the Dutch manager’s position precarious and boosting Daniel Farke’s survival bid.

A cagey first half yielded no goals, but Liverpool exploded into life post-interval. Hugo Ekitike, the on-loan PSG forward, struck twice in three minutes—first tapping in after a defensive lapse, then heading home a Curtis Jones cross—to put the visitors 2-0 up. Slot’s decision to bench Mohamed Salah for a third straight game drew murmurs, with Dominik Szoboszlai deputizing effectively on the right.Yet Leeds, fighting relegation, refused to fold. Ibrahima Konate’s rash foul on Wilfried Gnonto gifted Dominic Calvert-Lewin a 72nd-minute penalty, which he converted coolly for 2-1. Moments later, Anton Stach’s thunderous 75th-minute drive leveled it at 2-2, sparked by Farke’s triple substitution including Tanaka and Gnonto. The German tactician’s 3-5-2 switch injected energy, turning a potential rout into a siege.

Liverpool regrouped, Szoboszlai slotting home in the 80th minute to restore the lead. Elland Road fell silent, visions of a fifth-place push flickering for Slot’s side, unbeaten in three but winless in their last two. But Leeds’ resilience shone. From a Stach corner in the sixth minute of added time, Tanaka pounced on a loose ball, slamming it past Alisson to ignite pandemonium.Slot cut a forlorn figure post-match, his team now eighth with 23 points, two off fourth-placed Chelsea. Calls for his sacking intensified after blowing two leads, exposing set-piece frailties—Liverpool’s 10th such concession this season. “We had control but lacked composure,” Slot admitted, Salah’s unused status fueling speculation.

Farke, meanwhile, beamed: “The spirit today was immense. Four points from Chelsea and Liverpool? That’s huge for our fight.” His Whites climbed to 16th, three clear of the drop zone, Tanaka’s brace in a week (after his Chelsea stunner) marking him as talisman.This thriller encapsulated the season’s chaos: Slot’s Reds, once invincible, crumbling under pressure; Farke’s battlers embodying defiance. As winter bites, Elland Road’s roar lingers—a reminder that in the Premier League, no lead is safe.