Illan Meslier goes from hero to villain, he concedes twice after his penalty save as Leeds twice bottle their lead to draw with Swansea.
Leeds scored in the first minute and conceded in the last one as they miss out on the chance to go back to the top of the Championship table.
They scored inside 40 seconds through Brenden Aaronson, then goalkeeper Illan Meslier saved a Josh Tymon penalty not long after.
Meslier then dropped a corner on to the foot of Harry Darling to level for the away side on 64 minutes, with sub Willy Gnonto looking to have won it for Leeds on 86 minutes.
However, in the sixth minute of seven added on Zan Vipotnik he struck a low shot into the bottom corner to give the Swans a point, with pundits saying he really should have saved it.
Most of the 35,574 inside Elland Road booed the players off at full time. The result means that Sheffield United stay top with Leeds missing the chance to overtake.
Illan Meslier went through it all this afternoon as Leeds United conceded late on to draw against Swansea…😬 pic.twitter.com/aYMnMHgPlQ
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 29, 2025
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, per BBC Sport:
“Of course it’s a heartbreaking moment when you concede in such a situation and in this manner.
“But if you want to take part in sports, you can’t expect that the sun is always shining.
“You have to suffer a little bit, that’s normal, but then we go again. The sun will shine again.
“Overall it was for me it was a typical first game after an international break, a scruffy game.
“Without the last situation, it would have been a perfect, hard-fought win. We were not at our best football-wise first half, but the heart we showed and how we reacted was exactly what you need.”
Swansea caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan:
“To come here and have an absolute nightmare start, we let the spaces become too big and then they are in our box, a couple of ricochets and it’s a goal.
“Then after that, we get a penalty and miss it, another setback. Howe do we respond to that? We hit the post and it bounces back into the keeper’s arms. How do you respond to that?
“Do you back off or go toe to toe with a team like this? We want to be able to go toe to toe in the right moments and be as brave as we can be.
“How we did it with the setbacks we had in this game, one point is the least we deserved coming to the best team in the division.”
Twitter users reacted after Meslier goes from hero to villain, concedes twice following his first half penalty save as Leeds draw with Swansea…
@ajm1991_: Between themselves both Meslier and Farke are doing a superb job at fucking up any chance we have of getting promoted, absolutely love that for us.
@hallsi1987: Remember in January when we had a chance to do a thing that might improve our chances at the end of season? Remember doing nothing? This is the consequence!
@brov11: At this point I’m convinced Meslier is match fixing. No other explanation
@_NASH93: Another lovely piping hot slice of Leeds crumble please admin
@kai05080346: As a long time Leeds fan, Swansea are by far the best team we have faced this season. They should have beaten us
@Samuel_JMurray: Meslier should have been replaced long ago, and the manager and club never addressed that area of the pitch. Farke again with substitutions 70th minute I don’t understand if needs changing then change it don’t wait. Summary a shocking performance we deserved to lose. #lufc
@ShaunCronin7: Farke will ignore the Meslier issue once again, but if we don’t get promoted it will be 100% because of the goalkeeper. If you are being kind that’s at least 6 points gone because of him. #lufc
@LeedsXtra_: I completely agree with blaming Meslier – he’s atrocious. But doing so neglects the other things that are clearly badly wrong with this team that go beyond just the goalkeeper. #LUFC
@MWJS82: Blame Mes, it’s fine.. but coaches and hierarchy have seen this for months and done nothing to change things. The blame solely lies with Farke, the board and their over inflated egos. #lufc
@LeeScott321: We’ve said it all year but Meslier is going to cost us promotion if he hasn’t already. No player can make as many mistakes as him and continue to get picked .The chance was there to replace him earlier in the season and Farke stuck with him so it’s on him as much as anyone #lufc
@SonMatty1: This keeper is literally costing us promotion!! How many points has he lost us this season!!! Fucking fuming!! 😡 Fuck off to all the happy clappers who are happy with a point!!#lufc
@markthehod:
Very very poor
1 win in 5
This has last season written all over it.
No names in during January
All this sits with the management and not just Farke.
And an individual has cost us this season I think 18 points.
We should be home and hosed but we are getting rinsed
#lufc
@CJ_Randell:
We didn’t deserve to win the game to be honest, shocking all game.
Meslier poor again.
Rodon, Struijk and Ampadu petrified of a press.
Unable to get the ball into the wingers to create anything.
The team needs some character and I don’t think there is any. #lufc
@JordyP1993: Meslier. Farke. Wet cardboard goalkeeper and awful squad management is what will lose us this league (which we should be winning comfortably) or 2nd place. #LUFC
@_RB_Ash: It’s on the manager. He plays Meslier, he has stuck with Meslier and the guy fucks us week in week out. Farke might be the most overrated and overprotected manager in football history. He’s a disgrace, rotation shit subs shit. Farke is a professional Saboteur. Get him gone. #LUFC
@MrCricket35: We have had 3 years to buy a keeper by the way. Who takes the blame for that? #LUFC
@ChattingLeeds: Not even exaggerating here, Meslier could cost us promotion. Don’t get me wrong, not saying we’ve bottled it right now and the rest of the team weren’t great today, but he has cost us so many points in unbelievable. Absolutely raging. #LUFC
@beenie0128: Far from convinced we’d reach a play off final. Team looks shot and very fragile. Completely outplayed today. Thought we’d got away with an awful performance. But can’t complain about the result. Least Swansea deserved. Better team throughout #LUFC
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