The last few days have offered something of a redemption arc for a couple of Leeds United players with a point to prove.
Joel Piroe ended a mini-goal drought against Cardiff City in Saturday’s 7-0 demolition job, and followed that up with the opener four days later at Coventry. Mateo Joseph, meanwhile, would find the net for the first time since October against the South Wales outfit.
But if anybody in the Leeds United squad needed a moment like this, it was Illan Meslier.
The scrutiny forced upon the Frenchman at times this season has bordered on crushing. Then again, that is the life of a goalkeeper. Especially one standing between the sticks for a club with title ambitions.
Countless Leeds fans were calling for Meslier to be dropped after his nightmare afternoon in the 3-3 draw with Hull City last month. The former FC Lorient glovesman was already under pressure after that remarkable blunder at Sunderland before inadvertently turning a 3-1 lead into a six-goal humdinger on Humberside.
So while his stunning reaction save to keep out Ellis Simms away at Coventry City on Wednesday night ensured that Leeds would maintain their two-goal lead en route to a 19th Championship clean sheet, it meant even more from a personal perspective for their oft-maligned number one.
Illan Meslier ‘world-class’ as Leeds United beat Coventry City
The ball almost appeared to have crossed the line before Meslier dived to his left, contorted his rangy lims, and palmed the ball away. A stop reminiscent, according to former Leeds striker Michael Bridges, of Gordon Banks’ iconic denial of the one-and-only Pele during the 1970 World Cup.
The occasion might not have been quite so glamorous – the World Cup in Guadalajara compared to the Championship in the West Midlands – but, quality-wise, there isn’t too much to separate two saves which would give mere mortals whiplash just watching the replays.
“The first one is world class,” a stunned Bridges said following a win which puts Leeds five points clear at the summit. “As soon as I saw the flick-on, I thought ‘goal’.
“I’m no goalkeeper but I know how hard that is to do. I shouted ‘Gordon Banks-esque!’. My word, what a save that was. He kept us in the game. That performance was incredible.
“The thing that always fascinates me about goalkeepers is [the ability to], when you’re not in the game, keep that focus. That’s not easy to do. I would get bored!
“That is where I credit goalkeepers so much. And Illan’s saves, when you haven’t had much to do, thats special.”
Daniel Farke’s faith repaid as Meslier rescues Leeds
Meslier, as Bridges alluded to, was barely involved before Simms popped up in the penalty area. Frank Lampard’s hosts managed only four shots on target throughout.
“He does his job really really well,” agrees Stuart Dallas, a former teammate of Meslier’s under Marcelo Bielsa. “That is an incredible save [to keep out Simms]. That’s unbelievable. Save of the Season for me, there. He’s switched on in the big moments.
“No matter what happens, there will still be a microscope on him because of the magnitude of the mistakes he made, but that shows his quality and how good of a goalkeeper he is.
“Daniel Farke will be pleased because he showed a lot of faith in him and he repaid it here.”
‘Pleased’ the manager certainly was.
Farke resisted calls for Illan Meslier to be removed from Leeds’ XI in favour of Karl Darlow, and he was not going to miss an opportunity to ensure the Frenchman makes the headlines for all the right reasons this time around.
“Meslier was there today with two outstanding saves,” Farke says, his goalkeeper also helping Leeds avoid a late scare when capping a ‘top performance’ by tipping a Bobby Thomas header onto the bar in time added on.
“If they score in the 91st minute, then they have three minutes to go and anything can happen.”
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