Leeds stuns Liverpool late as Reds woes continue
Ao Tanaka equalised six minutes into second-half stoppage-time as Liverpool was pegged back from 2-0 and then 3-2 up in a gripping 3-3 draw with Leeds United.
The defending Premier League champion looked to have won the game on two occasions, only to let two points slip through its grasp as a terrible title defence hit another low.
Curtis Jones's curling strike that rattled the crossbar was the highlight of a low-key first half, but Hugo Ekitike scored twice in the first five minutes of the second period to put Liverpool 2-0 up.
Ekitike intercepted Joe Rodon's errant pass to finish into the bottom-left corner in the 48th minute, then stayed onside to bundle home after Conor Bradley dispossessed Gabriel Gudmundsson and crossed from the right.
But Leeds received a 73rd-minute lifeline when Ibrahima Konate recklessly scythed Wilfried Gnonto down. A penalty was awarded following a video assistant referee (VAR) review, and former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted confidently.
The momentum was with Leeds at that point, and just two minutes later, Anton Stach cut inside from the left side of the area under little pressure before powering home.
Liverpool hit back in the 80th minute as Ryan Gravenberch released Dominik Szoboszlai, who tucked a neat finish across Lucas Perri, but that was not the last of the goalmouth action.
Deep into nine minutes of stoppage-time, Stach's inswinging corner from the left squirmed all the way to Tanaka at the far post, and he rifled through a crowd of bodies to provoke wild celebrations from the home fans at Elland Road.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot expressed disbelief after the full-time whistle.
"There's a sense of disbelief," the Dutchman said. "To go away with a 3-3 draw, I don't think that's what we deserved.
"It's not about me. It's about us, it's about the fans. The players have worked so hard and, again, to concede from a set-piece. If you concede so many, you cannot be higher up the table than we are.
"We can only look at ourselves because we are the ones that are doing it. That's the situation we are in."
Liverpool is now eighth on the Premier League table, 10 points behind leader Arsenal, and Szoboszlai urged his team-mates to "show they are ready to fight for this badge".
"It's not easy when you don't win for a long time," the midfielder said. "At this club, we are not used to that. The only way we can get out of here is together.
"I don't know what happened after 2-0. I think we thought the game was over, and we just made sure at the beginning of the game that this is the kind of game where you can never underestimate the team.
"Maybe after the penalty, they just had the momentum. We came back, which showed a good reaction, but we conceded again from a set-piece.
"We have to find solutions, we have to show reactions, and everybody has to take responsibility. Everybody has to go on the pitch and show they are ready to fight for this badge."
