Arne Slot will have enjoyed a lot about Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Arsenal in their pre-season friendly in Philadelphia overnight, but his thirst for perfection was laid bare with his verdict on one player after the match.
Mo Salah and Fabio Carvalho got the Reds’ goals but the standout performer was Harvey Elliott, who provided the assists for both and put in an eye-catching display throughout his 72 minutes on the pitch at Lincoln Financial Field.
However, the 21-year-old’s ever-demanding boss was keen to stress that there were still some moments in the game which provide scope for improvement.
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Speaking about Elliott to liverpoolfc.com, Slot said: “He had two great assists, but what I believe is that the team created these assists for him as well. Playing out from the back, getting him in the right positions – or another No.10. Then it is up to him to bring the most of these situations and he did that today with two assists.
“If I am a bit hard on him, I think there were two or three other situations where he could have done better. But that’s what the team is doing for him; we make sure he and the other ones like Mo and like Fabio come in the right positions where they can show their quality. Harvey did that today with two good assists.”
If you analyse any footballer’s performance to a sufficiently rigorous degree, you’ll always find some little grain of imperfection. With Elliott, Slot might point towards the 21-year-old losing all three of his duels and not managing to complete either of his attempted dribbles (Sofascore) as facets to work upon.
However, considering how superbly the ex-Fulham youngster performed overall, it could simply be a case of the head coach not trying to let the player get too high, in a reversal of how a manager might publicly back someone who’d endured a particularly poor game in order to prevent their spirits from dipping too low.
It wasn’t just our number 19’s sumptuous assist for Carvalho which caught the eye, but also a cheeky rabona pass towards Luca Stephenson in the second half, with those two moments showcasing the supreme confidence coursing through his veins.
Only Darwin Nunez played more matches for Liverpool last season than Elliott’s 53, although eight men at Anfield had more minutes on the pitch (Transfermarkt), which indicated that the 21-year-old will be striving to be an undisputed starter this term rather than relying heavily on substitute appearances.
If he can build upon his display against Arsenal and take Slot’s advice on board, he stands every chance of being one of the first names on the teamsheet during the 2024/25 campaign.
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