Leeds United goalkeeper Lucas Perri was the man of the moment for Daniel Farke in the win against Birmingham in the FA Cup on Sunday.
The former Lyon star has found himself on the bench in the Premier League of late, with Karl Darlow taking the number one shirt, which meant that he needed a big performance against the Blues.
A big performance is exactly what the Brazilian shot-stopper provided. The experienced goalkeeper made several impressive stops and saved a penalty from Tommy Doyle to help send the team through to the fifth round.
Perri’s shootout save from Doyle was not the highlight of his performance between the sticks against the Championship side, though, as he made an even better save.
Jay Stansfield hit an impressive effort that looked destined for the top corner before the Leeds stopper got fingertips to the ball and diverted it onto the woodwork and away from goal.
The Leeds goalkeeper who should start against Aston Villa
Perri’s performance against Birmingham in the FA Cup has given Daniel Farke a decision to make on who starts against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, as he showed his class between the sticks.
In the last two top-flight matches, Darlow has made seven saves and conceded three goals, and there was not too much more he could have done to prevent the three goals that he conceded against Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.
The Wales international has not done much wrong in his last two outings, although he did score an own goal in the 4-0 loss to Arsenal at the end of January, and he should keep his place in goal for now.
However, Perri’s impressive showing at Birmingham means that Darlow is under huge pressure to perform because if his level drops and he fails to deliver against Aston Villa, the Brazilian star could come right back into the side.
It is a positive for Leeds and Farke that he now appears to have two goalkeepers who are pushing each other and ready to battle it out for the shirt, but it could mean that another player’s time at Elland Road is coming to an end.
The Leeds player whose career at the club may be over
Illan Meslier, who is among the lowest earners in the squad, has not played a single minute in any competition this season, as he has been the third-choice option in goal.
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The French goalkeeper, who has made 215 appearances for the club, has not played since Darlow replaced him as the first-choice towards the end of the 2024/25 Championship season.
Meslier, who was once described as a “liability” by journalist David Kent, lost his place because of his constant struggles between the sticks. He conceded 2.73 more goals than expected, based on the xG against him, and made three errors that led to goals in the league last term.
The left-footed goalkeeper also conceded 4.49 goals more than expected in the Championship in the 2023/24 campaign, making two errors that led to shots or goals, before his struggles last season.
Unfortunately, that ‘liability’ tag that he was hit with by David Kent has been backed up throughout his career at Elland Road, in the Championship and the Premier League, as he has consistently underperformed as a shot-stopper.
Meslier’s shot-stopping troubles
Season
Goals prevented
25/26 (Premier League)
N/A
24/25 (Championship)
-2.73
23/24 (Championship)
-4.49
22/23 (Premier League)
-13.14
21/22 (Premier League)
-9.18
His underperformance is why Farke was right to bring Perri in to replace him last summer, making Meslier the third choice, but there was a glimmer of hope for the goalkeeper recently.
Perri had been dropped after conceding 2.18 more goals than expected in 16 Premier League appearances, then Darlow had a tough time against Arsenal recently with his own goal, dropping the ball into his own net.
Meslier – who was up for sale for around £5m over the summer – may have seen the struggles of the two goalkeepers ahead of him and believed that he had a chance to rise back up the ranks if given an opportunity by Farke.
Unfortunately, for him, Perri’s sublime performance against Birmingham in the FA Cup showed a remarkable improvement on his league form and suggested that he is ready to come back stronger, which could spell the end of Meslier’s time at Elland Road.
If the Brazilian goalkeeper had struggled badly against the Blues, the French outcast could have been brought back in to see if he could offer more to the team. That was not the case in the end.
Now, time at Elland Road could be over for Meslier ahead of the summer transfer window because Perri and Darlow look set to continue as the first and second-choice options, leaving the Frenchman in the same awkward position that he has been in all season.
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Perri’s display at the weekend may have completely closed the door on a return to the first-team for the ex-Lorient stopper, and it looks set to be a big summer for his future in West Yorkshire.