Amid the frustration of failing to beat Manchester United yet again this season, there were some positives for Liverpool to take from the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
One of those was the latest impressive substitute outing from Harvey Elliott, whose lively 21-minute appearance saw him win the penalty from which Mo Salah netted a late equaliser for the Reds.
Taking to X, Neil Mellor praised the 21-year-old’s contribution after his introduction off the bench, adding that he may soon be too good for Jurgen Klopp to omit from the starting XI.
The LFC TV pundit stated: “Harvey Elliott was superb again when he came on yesterday – always makes an impact off the bench, can’t be far off getting a start”.
Harvey Elliott was superb again when he came on yesterday – always makes an impact off the bench, can’t be far off getting a start💪👏#Talent #Elliott #ReviewShow #LiverpoolFC #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/gUDHBolPdq
— Neil Mellor (@NeilMellor33) April 8, 2024
In addition to winning the crucial penalty against United, Elliott also posted an 85% pass success rate, won two duels and found a teammate with all three long passes that he played (Sofascore).
Liverpool’s number 19 has made 27 Premier League appearances this season, but only six of those have been from the start (Transfermarkt), with Klopp evidently viewing him as someone who’s capable of adding a fresh impetus from the bench when needed.
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However, having excelled for England’s under-21s during the recent international break and set up four of our 11 goals in the Europa League round of 16 tie against Sparta Prague last month, the youngster is doing everything in his power to try and nudge his way into the starting XI more frequently.
The Reds are facing into a period of six matches in 17 days and still have some vital players out injured, so Elliott will almost certainly be handed a few starts throughout April as the manager seeks to keep his squad as fresh as possible during the all-important run-in to the campaign.
He could well be given the nod against Atalanta on Thursday night, or possibly Crystal Palace next weekend. His display at Old Trafford yesterday showed that he’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.