Leeds United put on a show for the Elland Road faithful on Monday night, beating Sunderland 2-1 on a night of lows and monumental highs.
The night looked as though it was panning out on a low. Leeds United went into half-time a goal behind owing to a very well-taken effort from Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor who turned Ethan Ampadu and finished off the post.
Leeds were certainly poor in the first half and there were some pretty woeful individual moments throughout. But in a fashion that only champions can muster, Daniel Farke’s Leeds came from behind to win in dramatic fashion.
Centre-back Pascal Struijk came off the bench but turned into the match-winner on the night. He headed home two goals with the last being right at the end of the game, sealing the 2-1 win and replacing Leeds United to the top of the Championship table.
What Illan Meslier was doing towards the Sunderland fans after Leeds United win
There were a lot of eyes on Illan Meslier going into the game on Monday night. Earlier in the season, Meslier’s blunder against Sunderland shared the points in a 2-2 draw, and over the following weeks the Frenchman would face a lot of criticism from Leeds fans.
He’s since silenced many of his critics. Meslier had kept six-straight clean sheets before the game at Elland Road on Monday night and he made a good couple of saves early on against the Black Cats.
Then after full-time, when Leeds and Meslier had gotten their revenge on Sunderland for that 2-2 draw earlier in the campaign, Meslier was spotted waving and “flapping his hands in a ‘mouthy’ gesture” towards the Black Cats supporters.
Illan Meslier’s good form is good for everyone, says Leeds United legend
That Leeds win over Sunderland is pretty symbolic of Meslier’s season so far: ups and downs, but right now on the up.
Meslier has definitely bounced back from his earlier poor performances and he’s likely the first to admit that he wasn’t performing well.
But he’s played his role in recent weeks, even in the win over Sunderland with some good saves in the first half.
Speaking recently, Dominic Matteo gave his verdict on Meslier and how his positive form is beneficial for the whole group.
Mateo said: “He’s had his critics but he’s really bounced back and he’s playing really well. When your goalie is playing well and keeping that many clean sheets, the confidence grows within the group.”
Next up for Leeds United is another Monday night game against Sheffield United next week.
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