Liverpool could really use Harvey Elliott right now. The teenager started the season brilliantly but has been unavailable for some time.
Liverpool were incredibly frustrating against Arsenal. The Reds played the vast majority of the game against 10 men but just couldn’t break their opponents down. Nothing sums that up better than their only shot on target coming in stoppage time.
Arsenal sat very, very deep in the game once they were down to 10. Mikel Arteta switched to a back five, clogging the box with players and leaving Liverpool with little space to play in.
It was a game made for technical, progressive players. Liverpool just lacked them, particularly in midfield, with Curtis Jones entering the fray quite late.
But Jones wasn’t the only player Liverpool needed. This was a game that desperately needed Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool need Harvey Elliott back
Yes, it’s ridiculous that Liverpool will hope that an 18-year-old can get them back on track. That’s the reality, though – as this isn’t any ordinary 18-year-old player.
Jordan Henderson described him as ‘special’ earlier in the season and Elliott is exactly that. Advanced data suggests the teenager is something truly remarkable, after all.
But it’s where Elliott is special that leaves him needed at Liverpool. He excels at carrying and passing the ball forward, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago the only players that top him in that regard. The Reds can rely on him to pick things up in tight areas and drive towards the penalty area.
And these are things Elliott was doing at an elite level in his very first starts for Liverpool this season. He was getting better and better.
Arsenal essentially took advantage of his absence. Liverpool lacked players who can operate between the lines, blunting them against a compact defence. In Elliott, though, the Reds have the exact player they want to solve that problem.
It’s a huge part of why Elliott started the season as part of a right-sided triple-threat and it’s why Liverpool are really missing him right now.
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