Liverpool’s Anfield Road plans might have been delayed, but there are no signs of slowing down from Jürgen Klopp’s midfield rebuild. Three summer signings started on Saturday afternoon against Everton, with Alexis Mac Allister supporting Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch, with all three enjoying positive games in a 2-0 victory for the Reds.
But one of the standout stars was from the bench, with Harvey Elliott impressing when introduced. In an excellent appearance, he was unlucky not to score with a sublime strike from range, forcing a save from Jordan Pickford.
There are signs that he has reached a new level. Everton was just the latest in a run of performances that have been among his best since breaking into the first team.
The 20-year-old immediately enabled the Reds to thrive when he came on, with a clear shift in the tempo against a 10-man Everton side that was sitting deep. In a double switch that also saw Darwin Núñez introduced, both were pivotal from the bench in a similar manner to how they affected the game against Newcastle — when Elliott’s pressing led to Mohamed Salah’s assist for Núñez’s winner.
Elliott was frequently involved in all of Liverpool’s best pieces of play, completing 31 out of 31 passes during his 28-minute spell, while his decision-making on the ball also stood out. The former Fulham academy star has come some way, but the masterstroke from Jürgen Klopp to deploy him in midfield is beginning to pay off.
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