The Reds flew out of the blocks and were inches from an early breakthrough when Curtis Jones bent a superb effort onto the crossbar inside the first quarter of an hour. Leeds, meanwhile, spent the opening phase entrenched in their own half, offering almost nothing going forward.

Despite dominating territory and possession, Arne Slot’s side ran into the same problem that has plagued them in recent outings: a lack of clear chances. Their blunt edge kept Leeds interested, though the hosts’ decision to field seven defensively minded outfield players severely limited their ability to threaten. With neither team registering a shot on target, both managers went into the break with plenty to mull over.

Liverpool finally struck in the second stanza. Within five minutes, a slack Leeds pass sent Hugo Ekitike racing through, and he finished coolly into the bottom corner. The Frenchman struck again moments later, reacting sharply to Conor Bradley’s low delivery to sweep home his second and put Leeds in deep trouble.

But the match turned again with 20 minutes to go. A rash challenge by Ibrahima Konate on Wilfried Gnonto prompted Anthony Taylor to award a penalty after consulting the monitor. Dominic Calvert-Lewin converted from the spot.

Incredibly, Leeds were level two minutes later when Anton Stach cut inside from the left and smashed a near-post equaliser.

Elland Road roared in expectation, but Liverpool silenced the surge almost instantly. A clever Alexis Mac Allister dummy allowed Dominik Szoboszlai to stride into the box and arrow a low shot into the corner.

Leeds pressed relentlessly in search of another equaliser, and this time they found it. Ao Tanaka arrived at the back post in the 96th minute to blast home and earn a crucial point, leaving Slot under immense pressure and Leeds edging closer to safety.

Heartbreak for Liverpool as Ao Tanaka’s 96th-minute strike seals chaotic 3-3 draw