Leeds United 3 Liverpool 3: Match Review

Neil Atkinson’s post-match evaluation for The Anfield Wrap after Leeds United 3 Liverpool 3 within the 2025-2026 Premier League at Elland Street…

IT WAS AGONY. As a result of to win there may be ecstasy.

Elland Street is a factor and at all times, at all times, at all times fuck Elland Street.

I’ve a sophisticated relationship with Elland Street and was genuinely gutted to not be there at present, even now permitting for the consequence. My best reward doable for Leeds United is that they’re just about the realest soccer membership within the nation which isn’t within the north west. They is probably not Everton, they is probably not Manchester United however they’re product of grit and fibre. They take some digesting. They occur to you in a means most golf equipment don’t.

My sheer want to say “fuck Leeds United” comes at the beginning from a spot of figuring out that Leeds United are at all times a stay proposition.

Fuck Leeds United.

And Liverpool virtually did. Liverpool did the whole lot that it’s best to do to undo the entire energy of Elland Street. First-half Liverpool had been a lot the higher aspect with out scoring. Liverpool ought to be the higher aspect: budgets are actual. And there they had been: The Reds.

If, in a season just like the final two or 21/22 or 19/20 Liverpool put that form of first-half in, you then hit half-time with an perspective of certainty. Of “we’ll have an excessive amount of for these”. Of “they’ll give us one”. You see the first-half as swagger, not as insecurity.

As we speak, when half-time hits, the worry is “we’ve been on prime there and never scored”. The worry is “we’ll shoot ourselves within the foot”.

After which the second-half. Liverpool get given an affordable one. Liverpool have an excessive amount of. Liverpool resplendent, Leeds demoralised and the scoreline is 0-2 and that’s well-merited in all instructions. The higher aspect, cruising to victory after which there are two units of adjustments.

What’s vital right here is the order of occasions: Leeds’s are first. Leeds go from 3-5-2 – a formation Liverpool have hated for 4 seasons by the way in which – to 4-2-3-1 after which Liverpool make their adjustments. No one thought Conor Bradley had 90 minutes. However Florian Wirtz had been wonderful.

It’s doable these components had little to do with what comes subsequent. Attainable, however verging on “unlikely”. As a result of abruptly Leeds have a ton of width and Liverpool look stunned, look stretched after which the centre-back offers the penalty away.

It’s so costly. It’s so irresponsible. The most important subject with Ibou Konate this season is that had Ibou had a dreadful harm every week earlier than the season started after which Giovanni Leoni are available and actually performed the identical video games, actually the identical performances, you’d be justified in saying “he’s uncooked, however my god when it settles, what a participant he can be.” Konate is 25. That is it. That is being the participant it’s worthwhile to be. We’ve been watching his highs and his lows. We’ve had 4 and a half seasons now.

If Konate was a left-winger it could be effective. Not effective. It might be large as a result of the highs are spectacular. You could be a mercurial attacker; in reality it isn’t a nasty factor. However nobody ought to need to be the Luis Garcia, the Rayan Cherki, the Matt Le Tissier of centre-half. That’s being a failure for all of these gamers’ present or doable successes.

All of a sudden we’re surrounded by Elland Street. I wasn’t there however Christ I’ve been there and when there may be Elland Street in your ears, eyes and bellybutton it takes some eliminating. You must respect this nevertheless a lot you need to inform them to fuck the fuck off. As a result of they’re actual and because of this you get to 0-2 with out a lot occasion. That is what successful appears like.

Liverpool went from winners to losers. Quick. The knife to the kidneys. What a knife.

No one is nice between 1-2 and 2-2. No one. All people ought to be upset with themselves. It goes 2-2 after which Liverpool are merely concerning the consequence once more and to be honest they present some bollocks. They fancy it as a result of they don’t fancy Leeds. They don’t fancy Elland Street.

I adored Liverpool’s third. I adored it as a result of I’m all about Liverpudlian swagger and am all about West Yorkshire cultural shortcomings. Pay attention: This shit is actual for me. You may have your personal view however fuck Henry Moore and fuck Keith Waterhouse. We can provide Alan Bennett a cuddle and I like Cinerama and the bits of Wedding ceremony Current that sound like Cinerama however Liverpool’s third was a large “fuck off” to the Kaiser Chiefs and Mel B. Liverpool’s third was the perfect factor that had ever occurred to me in my entire fucking nugatory life. Liverpool’s third was taking off tight sneakers.

After which Liverpool can’t defend a nook. Fuck off, Liverpool.

What we lose is the excellence. Conor Bradley, Florian Wirtz, Curtis Jones, Milos Kerkez, Dominik Szoboszlai and particularly Hugo Ekitike all play ever so properly. Bradley is so progressive. Wirtz appears a famous person. Jones is a workhorse demanding the ball. All the time operating, at all times in house. Kerkez is just a extremely good fullback. Szoboszlai would have been worthy of scoring the winner and does so with the form of laid again brio one solely will get from laptop sport or cartoon character footballers.

And Ekitike, my god. A Liverpool quantity 9 for me is consistently concerned. He’s a chameleon, no matter any given sport calls for, capable of display and at present Ekitike is exactly that. He loves it to toes, loves becoming a member of in midfield, loves discovering a teammate and turning and going. He’s the sport’s greatest performer.

Pay attention – the sport is that this. The world is obsessive about our sport, our moments, our rivalries. I’m at all times joyful to be reductive. The world is obsessive about Liverpool enjoying Leeds. These cunts we got here up towards at present had been obsessive about their Harvey Nicks once they had nothing else to supply. These wished to be the London of the North they usually can fuck off with that.

However they confirmed a lot bollocks, tons of struggle and we shouldn’t be stunned. We shouldn’t be stunned. I really like and I hate the metropolis that’s Leeds, Leeds, Leeds. However their soccer crew broke their backs and Liverpool shouldn’t have been stunned. Liverpool ought to have had their substitutions meet fireplace with fireplace as a result of the great individuals of West Yorkshire have fireplace in abundance.

They’re my sort of individuals.

They’ll go fuck themselves.

Liverpool 3 Leeds United 3. It must be higher. Higher for the league desk. Higher for the second. Higher for our collective psychological well being. However higher as a result of the sheer fucking job is to be higher than them. Today. That day. Subsequent week.

Beating them is a matter of respect and possibly, simply possibly at present Liverpool didn’t present sufficient respect.

I want I used to be going out in Leeds tonight. I hope I by no means return.

All my love

Neil