The whole footballing world has seen it. Illan Meslier’s howler was one that left fans of both clubs in shock as he allowed an innocuous-looking ball fly past him into Leeds United’s goal.
Not only was it a massive error that lead to a goal, but it saw Sunderland somehow nab a point against Leeds. A goal that came in the 97th-minute, after a solid performance from Daniel Farke’s men away.
It sees Leeds sit in fifth with four wins from nine, when really it should be five from nine with The Whites in fourth and just a point behind third-placed Burnley. But, focus switches quickly in the Championship.
Leeds fans were quickly calling for Meslier to be dropped following the mistake. But he still has five clean sheets in nine Championship games, conceding just seven goals in that run of games for Leeds this term.
Daniel Farke shares chat he had with Illan Meslier after mistake
It was a horrendous mistake. Meslier’s error caused Junior Firpo to storm off the pitch, a rush of blood that saw Firpo earn criticism from Chris Sutton. Jon Newsome criticised Meslier for his actions afterwards.
Meslier was seen laughing and joking with his old Lorient coach and current Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris. Now, Farke told Wednesday’s press conference that he has spoken to Meslier about the mistake.
“He’s alright, we had a chat last week. He’s experienced at this level, we didn’t analyse it much. It happens once in a life time. You are suffering for two or three days. He is such an important and key player.”
How does Meslier compare with other Championship stoppers?
Meslier has started well in the Championship and with a rate of one clean sheet every two games, he is sure to be up there in the race for the golden glove if he continues that run of form for Farke’s Leeds side.
| Name | Club | Games | Clean sheets | Goals conceded |
| Michael Cooper | Sheffield United | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Alex Palmer | West Brom | 9 | 5 | 6 |
| Illan Meslier | Leeds United | 9 | 5 | 7 |
| Anthony Patterson | Sunderland | 7 | 5 | 8 |
It must be remembered that Meslier is a top, top goalkeeper at this level and that the grass is not always greener. However, Karl Darlow impressed again for Wales, keeping a clean sheet in his second Wales cap.
It will be interesting to see if Meslier struggles against Sheffield United, which is conceivable, whether the Leeds manager keeps Meslier between the sticks or opts to bring in former Newcastle goalkeeper Darlow.
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