Harvey Elliott’s best season yet hints at even more to come under Arne Slot

It was Harvey Elliott‘s most productive season yet for Liverpool – and it hinted at plenty of promise for the future.

The 2023/24 season was sprinkled with standout moments for 21-year-old Elliott.

He became a key part of the Liverpool squad in Jurgen Klopp‘s final year as manager and produced his best Premier League return in terms of goals (three) and assists (six).

He managed this despite playing fewer minutes overall in the league compared to last season, and he will now be hoping to play an even bigger role in the starting XI under a new manager he’ll be looking to impress from the off.

 

Always available

Only seven outfield players in the Liverpool squad played more minutes than Elliott in all competitions throughout the 2023/24 season.

His 2,784 minutes almost matched the 2,788 he played during a breakthrough season in first-team football on loan at Blackburn in 2020/21.

He was also the only player to appear in the matchday squad for all of the 58 matches Liverpool played across the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Such availability is a valuable asset in a team that is challenging on multiple fronts each season, especially for one that’s had its (un)fair share of injury issues.

Availability is one thing, but for that to be useful and meaningful, a player needs to perform when called upon.

That is something Elliott does more often than not, despite being at an age where he is still developing as a first-team player.

It’s easy to forget he’s still only 21 and one of the youngest players in this Liverpool team.

He was one of the outstanding young players in English football in 2023/24, even if this is sometimes overlooked or taken for granted.

 

Stats man

Elliott brings an element of control and creativity to a game, which can often be very useful off the bench. Twenty-three of his 26 substitute appearances in the season just gone came in the league.

He’s effective at keeping the ball in tight areas and contributing to buildup play, and amid all of this is a desire to drive the team forward through passing or ball-carrying.

This is reflected in the data, where he is among the best players in Europe for various attacking and creative metrics, whether he is assessed as a central midfielder or attacking midfielder/winger.

The radar below from FBref shows just how impressive his underlying numbers are in areas of the game involving creativity and go-forward.

The data also shows he’s usually well-positioned to receive the ball from other similarly forward-thinking players.

All of this combined makes him a valuable asset in attack.

 

Slot’s No. 10?

Elliott is one of the creative attacking players who could thrive under new head coach Arne Slot.

Dominik Szoboszlai could also benefit from the Dutchman’s system, but Elliott joins the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones as options in central to attacking midfield areas.

Slot regularly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation but there can be a number of creative players within this, especially as the shape is not entirely symmetrical and can sometimes look like the staggered midfield three seen at Liverpool already.

That creative side of the game is not the sole responsibility of the No. 10 in the middle of the three.

Elliott’s underlying stats compared to his output suggest there is even more to come from him in future seasons.

A fresh approach, and a system in which he can find a regular role, could see him kick on.

More starts in the league and a more defined role could help build on some already impressive work and see him become one of the best No. 10s or creative wide players in the league.

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Best moment: A wondergoal in front of the Kop against Spurs.

Worst moment: Liverpool losing against Man United in the FA Cup when it looked like he’d scored the winner.

Role next season: Rotating playmaker.