Leeds United 3-3 Portsmouth: Brenden Aaronson hits dramatic equaliser in thriller at Elland Road (2024)

Brenden Aaronson's stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a thrilling 3-3 draw for Leeds against newly-promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road.

Aaronson fired home in the fifth minute of added time after Callum Lang appeared to have snatched Pompey all three points when converting a penalty three minutes earlier.

Pascal Struijk's first-half penalty gave Leeds an early lead, but Pompey responded to the home side's storming start by going 2-1 up before the break through summer signing Elias Sorensen and Lang's thumping drive.

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Willy Gnonto hauled Leeds level early in the second period, but they failed to capitalise on their dominance and it needed Aaronson's late heroics to rescue a point after Lang notched his second from the spot.

There was still time for Aaronson to have won it for Leeds in the closing moments, but he somehow dragged his shot wide from arguably the best chance of the match.

Gnonto, Mateo Joseph - making his full league debut - and Ilia Gruev all struck the woodwork inside the opening seven minutes as Leeds laid siege on the Pompey goal.

Gnonto's left-footed shot and Joseph's bouncing header both came back off the crossbar and Gruev's curling free-kick hit Portsmouth goalkeeper Will Norris's left-hand post.

With Pompey still to catch breath in their first match back in the second tier in 12 years, Leeds then took a 10th-minute lead.

Dan James stole into the box and after he was bundled over by Connor Ogilvie referee Oliver Langford pointed straight to the spot and Struijk despatched the penalty.

But as Leeds continued to pile on the pressure Portsmouth silenced Elland Road in the 23rd minute.

Skipper Marlon Pack picked out Sorensen with a cleverly disguised low pass into the penalty area and the Danish forward buried the visitors' first chance.

Joseph and Gnonto forced Norris into good saves and Georginio Rutter's effort flew wide as Leeds resumed domination, but Pompey stunned the home side again shortly before half-time.

Joe Rodon's headed clearance fell to Lang 25 yards out and he crashed a brilliant right-footed shot beyond Illan Meslier to give his side the unlikeliest of leads.

Within less than a minute of the restart, though, Leeds were level. Gnonto escaped down the left and after cutting inside he buried a low shot inside the near post.

Joseph was denied by Norris's finger-tip save, while Gruev, Gnonto and Rutter all fired straight at the Portsmouth goalkeeper.

Farke sent on Aaronson, Joel Piroe and summer loan signing Joe Rothwell for Gnonto, James and Gruev with 18 minutes to go and Patrick Bamford replaced Joseph soon after.

It was a final bid by boss Daniel Farke to start the campaign with victory and Bamford headed narrowly wide from Junior Firpo's cross.

But Farke's hopes appeared dashed in the first minute of added time when Bogle was adjudged to have hauled down Pompey substitute Christian Saydee in the area.

Lang stepped up to convert his second goal from the spot, but the south-coast club were denied a memorable win when Aaronson struck in the fifth minute off added time.

The USA forward - back in Yorkshire after a season on loan with Union Berlin - should have won it for Leeds moments later but fired wide after being played in and clear by Bogle.

The managers

Leeds' Daniel Farke:

"He just got a hug from myself because no words are needed. It's more like I told him to hold his head up.

"He was probably the most disappointed lad in the dressing room, but he doesn't have to be because coming back after a difficult season, out on loan, he wants to prove his worth.

"He had a difficult start, one or two mistakes, but he showed great character to fight his way back into this game with lots of effort and scored a fantastic equaliser.

"He could have been the hero then with the second chance because normally a player of his quality scores such a goal.

"He would have sat on the shoulders of his team-mates and everyone would sing his name. But football is like life, it's never easy."

Portsmouth's John Mousinho:

"I thought it was going to nestle in the back of the net. I was really relieved.

"Having said that if we had lost it wouldn't have changed the performance. I was grateful it went wide, we got away with one there."

After guiding the south-coast club to the League One title in his first full season in charge the former Oxford and Wycombe midfielder was delighted by his side's display in their first second-tier game in 12 years.

Mousinho added: "I am happy. Both sides will come off disappointed with the result.

"Leeds had the better chances and I'm guessing the takeaways (are they have) got to defend a bit better and put the ball in the back of the net.

"Leeds have some really good athletes, multi-million pound players who may go in the next few weeks. If I'm a Premier League manager, I'm definitely snapping up one or two of them after today."