One Liverpool player elicited glowing applause from Jurgen Klopp during the first half of the 5-1 win over West Ham tonight.
From first whistle to last, the Reds were totally dominant at Anfield as they cruised into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Shortly before half-time, with the home side one goal to the good, Harvey Elliott produced a moment which had his manager clapping.
Providing live updates on the match for BBC Sport (20:49), Simon Stone wrote: “Harvey Elliott has been superb in the first-half. That cross for Cody Gakpo brought a round of applause from his manager. West Ham are not getting tight enough to Elliott, who has too much room.”
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That cross for Gakpo, who diverted his subsequent header wide, was emblematic of Elliott’s magnificent all-round performance tonight.
The 20-year-old was keen to have a crack at goal whenever the opportunity provided itself, ending the game with five shots, two of which were on target (Sofascore).
The England under-21 star completed 42 of his 51 passes (82% success rate), won three duels, recorded one successful dribble, made three key passes and chipped in with two tackles.
The hero of the recent win over Crystal Palace delivered a fine display when playing from the start against West Ham, and Elliott might just have played himself into contention to keep his place for Saturday’s pivotal Premier League showdown against leaders Arsenal.
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