Every team with aspirations of winning the league needs a good goalkeeper. Leeds United are testing that theory to the max this season, with No 1 Illan Meslier being guilty of several high-profile errors as the Whites chase promotion from the Championship.
The Frenchman never seems too far away from an unfortunate gaffe, putting Leeds’ dreams of playing in the Premier League next season at great risk.
While he has added plenty to his catalogue of errors this season, Meslier has been no stranger to a dodgy mistake during his time at Leeds. Here, we take a look at his worst moments between the sticks.
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2 ByCharlie SmithFeb 25, 2025 1 Leeds v Newcastle, 2021/22 Meslier lets Shelvey free-kick slip through his hands
It isn’t just in the Championship that Meslier has dropped a clanger or two, and one of his worst moments in the top flight came in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.
Meslier somehow allowed a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick to slip through his grasp despite standing right behind the ball.
You could argue the bodies in front of him were a distraction, but it was an awful goal for any goalkeeper to concede, and cost Leeds in what was a relegation clash at the time.
2 Arsenal v Leeds, 2021/22 Nketiah pounces on hesitant Meslier to gift Gunners lead
Later that season, Leeds were in huge relegation bother and entered a tie against an in-form Arsenal just two points above the drop.
Therefore, it was a time for calm heads and not letting games get away from themselves. Unfortunately, Meslier didn’t get the memo, as he allowed Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah to steal in when he dawdled on the ball after just five minutes.
In fairness to Meslier, the whole team imploded that day, going down to 10 players in the first half and dooming themselves to defeat before eventually escaping relegation on the final day.
3 Everton v Leeds, 2022/23 Bizarre positioning leads to Seamus Coleman wondergoal
Perhaps the worst of times to make a mistake is during a tense relegation dogfight, but that’s exactly what Meslier did during Leeds’ fateful 2022/23 campaign.
Facing another rival for top-flight safety in Everton back in February 2023, Leeds were outside of the bottom three by a point, knowing that defeat at Goodison Park would plunge them into the drop zone.
Leeds were holding the Toffees at bay until a long ball found Seamus Coleman down the right-hand side, and despite there being nobody in the box for a cross, the Irishman fired in a ball that completely caught Meslier out.
The Frenchman appeared to be set up for a cross, but had left his goal exposed in the process. It was an embarrassing goal to concede, and that’s putting it kindly.
4 Leeds v Portsmouth, 2024/25 Goalkeeper flaps at Sorensen strike to concede cheap equaliser
It appears that Meslier started the 2024/25 campaign as he meant to go on, as the first league goal Leeds conceded this term was a soft one, to say the least.
1-0 up against newly promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, the promotion favourites will have felt in control until Meslier somehow let a shot from Elias Sorensen go straight through him.
What should have been a routine stop turned into an equaliser, and gave Pompey the confidence to take the lead twice on the day before the Whites salvaged a draw.
5 Sunderland v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops all-time clanger (and two valuable points)
Perhaps the worst mistake on this list is Meslier’s inexplicable clanger right at the end of Leeds’ trip to Sunderland back in October.
With Leeds holding out against their promotion rivals after coming from behind to lead at the Stadium of Light, they had one set piece to defend to secure all the points.
And despite Leeds seemingly dealing with it as a deflection off Junior Firpo had the ball calmly sailing towards Meslier, the Frenchman made an almighty howler by completely misjudging the bouncing ball, handing the Black Cats an unlikely point at the death.
6 Preston v Leeds, 2024/25 Frenchman parries ball into side-netting
Leeds were left to rescue a point against Preston North End just before Christmas after Meslier’s poor attempt at keeping out Brad Potts’ effort threatened to inflict a third away defeat in four games.
Potts turned home a cross from Milutin Osmajic to give the hosts the lead, but the shot was straight at Meslier, and while by no means his worst mistake in Leeds colours, he will have been bitterly disappointed at how weakly he dealt with a rather tame attempt on goal.
Meslier simply pushed the ball into his side-net, with his positioning also to blame.
7 Hull v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops ball from under crossbar to spark Tigers comeback
Leeds had done superbly well to hit back from going a goal down early on against Hull City, and had led by two thanks to Joel Piroe’s fine strike in the 72nd minute.
But another set-piece mistake in the final 10 minutes saw Meslier try to catch a ball likely heading over his crossbar, only to drop it at the feet of a grateful Joao Pedro.
You could argue he was culpable for all of the goals Leeds conceded that day, but the second one was the pivotal moment of the match, and it led to Abu Kamara’s eventual late equaliser.
8 Sheff Utd v Leeds, 2024/25 Goalie scores OG in huge Championship clash
Meslier may have got away with this one, but there’s no getting away from the fact he made a big error in a big game.
Early in their top-of-the-table clash against Sheffield United, the Frenchman ended up making an astounding stop from Callum O’Hare’s close-range effort, only to clumsily knock in a header from Tyrese Campbell that had hit the post.
Goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe got the Whites (and Meslier) out of jail, but the Leeds No 1 almost cost them in their biggest match of the season.
9 Leeds v Swansea, 2024/25 Meslier guilty of multiple errors to dent promotion hopes
Leeds’ form has been up and down as we enter the final month of the league campaign, and Meslier’s poor goalkeeping reared its head once more in the Whites’ recent clash with Swansea City.
Daniel Farke’s side led twice through Brenden Aaronson and Wilfried Gnonto, but Meslier was chiefly responsible for at least one of the visitors’ goals.
He dropped a Swansea corner to gift Harry Darling an equaliser prior to what looked like a Gnonto winner, but then let a rasping drive from Zan Vipotnik through his body as the Swans snatched a point at Elland Road.
Vipotnik’s shot was certainly struck well enough, but it squirmed underneath Meslier into the bottom corner to hand their rivals another leg up in the promotion race.
Meslier’s howlers surely put his Leeds future at risk, regardless of whether they get promotion this year. Having missed out last season and dropped points late on due to his errors alone, it is a problem Farke will have to fix sooner rather than later.
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