Several of Liverpool’s loanees had a telling impact at the weekend as no fewer than three managed to claim an assist – with another earning a clean sheet.
Once again, it was Harvey Elliott who stole the biggest headlines as far as the Reds’ crop out on loan goes, as he helped have a match-winning effect for Blackburn Rovers.
Playing on the right of attack in a 4-3-3 once more, Elliott fashioned his eighth assist of the Championship season in Rovers’ 1-0 win over Middlesbrough – no other player in Blackburn’s squad has more than three!
This was no standard, simple pass to someone who did all the hard work, either; picking up the ball in a deep area, Elliott played an incisive and clever one-two to bypass three defenders, drove into the box and played a low, right-footed cross into a dangerous area – where Joe Rothwell was on hand to net the only goal of the game.
Rovers are up to ninth with that victory, eight points off the play-off spots.
There was an assist in League One, too, as Liam Millar continued his good start to life with Charlton Athletic.
The Canadian wide man played on the left in the Addicks’ 4-4-2, striking the woodwork himself and setting up his team’s first goal in a 2-2 draw.
Over in Germany, Taiwo Awoniyi‘s good run with Union Berlin yielded an assist in defeat.
Union lost 2-1 to Augsburg, a second defeat in a row which hampers their Europa League ambitions.
Awoniyi’s assist came as he showed good pace and strength to beat a defender to a ball in the box, before he turned to lay it off for Marcus Ingvartsen to equalise.
The Nigerian had a couple of shots of his own, but couldn’t add to his tally of five Bundesliga goals for the season.
Loris Karius was again an unused sub.
Elsewhere, Kamil Grabara picked up a clean sheet for AGF in a 3-0 win Aalborg. The result leaves the Polish goalkeeper’s team third in the Danish Superliga, three points off the top.
And there was another run out for Colombian full-back Anderson Arroyo with Salamanca, as the 21-year-old finally gets a run in a senior team after several unfruitful loan spells.
His 90-minute showing at right-back came in a 1-0 loss to Coruxo in the Segunda B – the third tier in Spain – and was his sixth league appearance in a row.
Fellow full-back Adam Lewis missed Plymouth’s FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United through an ankle injury, but he is expected to return to the line-up for the next game.
Marko Grujic should be in action with Porto on Monday in their league game away to Farense.
Liverpool FC loaness this weekend
Harvey Elliott – Blackburn – 65 mins vs. Middlesbrough, assist
Loris Karius – Union Berlin – unused sub vs. Augsburg
Kamil Grabara – AGF Aarhus – 90 mins vs. AaB, clean sheet
Taiwo Awoniyi – Union Berlin – 90 mins vs. Augsburg, assist
Liam Millar – Charlton Athletic – 90 mins vs. Swindon, assist
Anderson Arroyo – Salamanca UDS – 90 mins vs. Coruxo
Injured: Adam Lewis – Plymouth
Plays Monday: Marko Grujic – Porto
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