Illan Meslier was poor against Arsenal, but has earned the right to be cut some slack

Leeds United slumped to a 4-2 defeat away to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, in a fixture where a win would've seen them leapfrog the Gunners into the top half of the table.

While it was their resilient style of play that allowed them to claw back two goals in the second half through Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa, the damage was already done having headed into half time 3-0 down before conceding a fourth just minutes into the second half.

It wasn't all on their style of play this time, however. Unfortunately, the responsibility must fall on the shoulders of goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who had a game to forget as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strolled to a somewhat simple maiden Premier League hat-trick.

Being blunt, Meslier could've stopped three of the four goals he conceded. He was beaten at his near post on two occasions, and conceded a penalty when caught on the ball by Bukayo Saka which saw Arsenal head into half time with a three goal lead. It was disappointing and warranted some healthy criticism, sure, but by no means is this the be all and end all of his career.

It's easy to forget that not only is Meslier just 20 years old, but it is his first full season as Leeds' number one, in their return to the Premier League after a 16 year absence. No pressure, then.

Meslier was signed on loan in August 2019 ahead of Leeds' 2019/20 campaign, but ended up being drafted into the first team and became the club's number one goalkeeper halfway through the season, becoming an instrumental part in their promotion to the Premier League and picking up seven clean sheets from ten Championship appearances.

A fiercely tall presence with a seriously impressive confidence level for his age, Meslier's desire to regularly take the ball at his feet is commendable. And in a system like the one Marcelo Bielsa deploys at Leeds, there is always the inherent risk that blunders like Meslier's that led to a penalty can always happen.

That doesn't excuse his other two mistakes, of course. Being beaten at the near post is blasphemy and rightly so. It's the bread and butter of the game; something that Meslier must focus on getting down before anything else. For all his proficient footwork on the ball and reactions from short range, he is still lacking in areas such as positioning, handling and commanding his box from crosses and set pieces, which should be straightforward considering his size.

Like we've said, though, he's 20 years old. Twenty. Meslier has an entire career ahead of him and, consider that goalkeepers don't often peak until their later years, plenty of time to sharpen his tools. The French Under-21 has kept seven clean sheets already in the league for Leeds this season and has undoubtedly earned them more points than he's cost them.

Consider also that he has played behind an ever-changing back line that has often seen wingers and full backs drafted into unfamiliar positions, he is doing fine.

The reaction and how he develops in the next 12 to 18 months is the most interesting part in the conversation about Meslier. To write off the 20-year-old after one season of top flight football would be ludicrous; while there is plenty to work on, there are enough exciting traits that suggest Meslier can be a fine keeper for years to come.