Leeds United came from behind to win 3-3 against Liverpool at Elland Road last night, taking their tally to four points against the Big Six in a week.
Manager Daniel Farke’s team fell behind by two points immediately after the break thanks to a double by Hugo Ekitike, but it only seemed to give them momentum as they prepare for a return to Premier League play.
Goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Anton Stach got them back on level terms, and an 80th-minute goal from Dominik Szoboszlai seemed to have finally secured them the three points.
However, this was not their intention, and in the 96th minute, Ao Tanaka scored a stunning volley from a corner kick, and Los Blancos’ never-give-up attitude earned them a point.
Despite an impressive fightback against the Reds in Yorkshire, a number of players have struggled to impress throughout the game, which could put their starting roles at great risk.
Leeds did poorly against Liverpool
Jayden Bogle has been Leeds’ number one right-back so far this season, but his performance against the Reds was probably one of his worst of the season so far.
The English player was sent off with a minute left in the game after losing the ball 11 times, including two attempts at opponents.
He also failed to win a tackle against Kodi Gakpo and only topped in 25% of his ground and aerial battles against the defending champion.
Bogle wasn’t the only one struggling in the back five, with centre-back Joe Rodon having a rare lackluster performance in the Premier League.
A misplaced pass by the Wales international put the ball into the bat of Ekitike, helping the home side build a two-goal cushion early in the second half.
He also only won 50% of his aerial battles in the defensive third, but thankfully he was rescued by Tanaka through his efforts in stoppage time.
Leeds stars need to leave after Liverpool
If Leeds are to remain in the Premier League this season, his ability to come off the canvas on a regular basis could play a huge role in their successful bid to survive.
Few teams in the league can recover to come within striking distance of a team of Liverpool’s quality, and Farke deserves a lot of credit for achieving such a result.
The Germans were not afraid to make important substitutions at key parts of the match, with Tanaka scoring in a triple change in the 65th minute and Calvert-Lewin’s shot giving Wilfried Gnont a penalty.
Brenden Aaronson was also on hand to provide the goods, with the American assisting Stach’s attack, his first equal performance in this conference.
However, Noah Okafor was just one of the players sacrificed for the aforementioned trio, and the attacker could now find his starting role at Yorkshire in jeopardy.
The Switzerland international took just over an hour before being substituted, but his on-pitch stats show just how lackluster his performance was at Elland Road.
He completed just five passes in 65 minutes, averaging one every 13 minutes, but his small size made him unsuitable for counter-attacking in the first half.
Noah Okafor – Statistics against Liverpool | |
|---|---|
statistics | tally |
Play time (minutes) | 65 |
touch | 14 |
pass completed | 5 |
Dribbling completed | 1 |
aerial won | 0 |
shot on target | 0 |
loss of ownership | 4 times |
Number of fouls committed | 1 |
Statistics by FotMob | |
The 25-year-old tried his best to influence the transition but struggled mightily against the Reds’ backline, as evidenced by just one successful dribble.
Okafor also failed to win in the air, which is not surprising considering his height, but he also found himself up against the likes of Virgil van Dijk.
To make up for the disappointing result, he recorded just 14 total touches during the draw, while goaltender Lucas Perry had nearly three times that amount with 43 touches.
After such a performance, Falke was left with no choice but to drop the Swiss international, and the trio certainly deserve to start after impressing in the second half and coming off the bench.
This is not a bad decision on the part of the manager, especially given the competition for rankings in the recent system, and it will be extremely important to ensure survival.
