Leeds made a great account of themselves against Arsenal on Monday night.
The Whites had more shots and more possession than Mikel Arteta’s side, but despite all their attacking play, it was a man down the other end of the pitch who impressed fans.
Of course, we’re talking about Illan Meslier.
Earned his chance
The Frenchman was given a bit of a baptism of fire on his Leeds United debut as his first appearance was in front of almost 60,000 supporters against one of the biggest clubs in the country.
Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
The goalkeeper was mightily impressive, making four saves and completing 82% of his passes, as both sets of supporters took to social media to sound their appreciation.
Keeping a frontline with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe limited to just one goal is no easy feat, and now is the perfect chance for Marcelo Bielsa to hand him an opportunity to further prove himself.
Transfer mistake avoided
Meslier may have been brilliant against Arsenal, but how often do we see goalkeepers shine on a big stage in performances that aren’t reflective of their true talents?
Think of the likes of Guillermo Ochoa at the 2014 World Cup, David Martin vs Chelsea earlier this season and Fraser Forster vs Barcelona back in 2012.
Goalkeepers can pull off these incredible one-time performances based on just pure adrenaline and confidence, and now is the time for Bielsa to weigh up whether Meslier will be a one-hit-wonder or if he’s the real deal.
This is especially important when you consider that Leeds have now apparently changed their approach in the transfer window.
They’re now reportedly after a young goalkeeper due to Meslier’s heroics against the Gunners rather than looking at a more experienced option, which was apparently their plan earlier this month.
However, this could be a big mistake unless Leeds find out whether the French stopper does have it in his locker to perform on a consistent basis.
If he doesn’t have the qualities then a more experienced ‘keeper should be their preferred route in January.
In other news, One Leeds man’s recent performance proved they still need to strengthen one key area.
