Leeds mount stunning comeback to hold Liverpool in 3-3 thriller

Liverpool endured yet another humiliating collapse, intensifying scrutiny on head coach Arne Slot, after Leeds fought back twice to secure an exhilarating 3-3 stalemate on Saturday.

The home side raced into a 2-0 advantage and later 3-2 up courtesy of Hugo Ekitike's rapid brace and a goal from Dominik Szoboszlai, yet they could not hold on, marking their eighth failure to win in the past 10 league outings.

Slot's continued trust in Ibrahima Konate faces fresh doubts following the French defender's error that sparked Leeds' resurgence by conceding a penalty.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the spot, and Anton Stach equalised soon after, before Szoboszlai swiftly re-established Liverpool's edge.

However, right at the death in added time, the Reds struggled with a corner, leaving Ao Tanaka free at the far post to fire home.

This result keeps Liverpool mired in eighth position, with no end in sight to their troubling downturn since securing a joint-record 20th championship last term.

Slot opted to start Ekitike ahead of high-profile acquisition Alexander Isak in attack, while Mohamed Salah remained on the substitutes' bench for a third match running.

Leeds arrived boosted by their convincing 3-1 victory against Chelsea earlier in the week, which quelled concerns about Daniel Farke's job security, and this hard-earned draw pulls them three points away from the drop zone.

Curtis Jones nearly opened the scoring in a barren opening 45 minutes, his curling shot striking the bar and bouncing back.

Leeds undid their own efforts shortly after the restart when Ekitike capitalised on a misplaced pass from Joe Rodon to finish coolly beyond Lucas Perri.

The ex-Eintracht Frankfurt striker then met Conor Bradley's driven cross with a dive, benefiting from Perri's clearance ricocheting off him into the net.

Among Liverpool's lavish summer outlay approaching £450 million, Ekitike stands alone as the big-name arrival justifying his price tag thus far.

The forward has notched eight strikes for the club, even with reduced minutes since Isak regained full fitness.

Still, Leeds received a boost from lax defending elsewhere.

Konate's poor performances have plagued Liverpool's struggles this campaign.

He recklessly lunged at Willy Gnonto near the touchline, resulting in a penalty award via VAR check 17 minutes before the end.

Calvert-Lewin dispatched the kick emphatically, and almost immediately, Leeds drew level.

Stach found ample space in the box before beating Alisson Becker with a fierce effort into the upper corner.

That said, Leeds' eagerness for all three points backfired momentarily as Liverpool countered, with Szoboszlai finishing neatly into the bottom corner after Alexis Mac Allister's smart lay-off.