Illan Meslier found himself at the center of attention during Leeds United’s match against Sunderland on Friday night after a costly mistake led to Leeds squandering a 2-1 lead. The game began with Sunderland taking an early lead through Chris Rigg, a talented teenage midfielder. Leeds responded with Wilfried Gnonto, arguably one of the best players in the Championship, delivering a superb cross for Joel Piroe to equalize. This was reminiscent of their combination in last season’s play-off semi-final against Norwich.
Leeds took the lead when Gnonto displayed excellent decision-making, linking up with Junior Firpo in a clever one-two that resulted in a second goal. It seemed Leeds would secure victory over the Championship leaders. However, deep into stoppage time, Alan Browne’s speculative knock forward took an unexpected bounce, catching Meslier off guard, and Sunderland equalized in the 97th minute. After the match, Meslier was seen laughing and joking with his former Lorient manager, Regis Le Bris, which sparked controversy.
Former Leeds player Jon Newsome, speaking on BBC Radio Leeds, criticized Meslier for his behavior, arguing that the goalkeeper should have shown more professionalism and awareness of the situation. Newsome expressed his frustration, stating that if he had been in the dressing room after such a mistake, he would have confronted Meslier for his apparent lack of seriousness.
Despite the criticism, Meslier’s overall form this season has been solid. Since joining Leeds from Lorient in 2019, initially as a backup, he has gone on to break records, including Joe Hart’s record for most clean sheets by a goalkeeper under 21 and becoming the youngest to reach 100 Premier League appearances. Meslier stayed at Leeds after their relegation and won the Championship’s Golden Glove last season. This season, he has already kept five clean sheets in nine games, proving his quality at a Premier League level. While his recent mistake caused frustration, his overall contributions to the team remain significant, and fans should acknowledge his talents.
Leave a Reply