Harvey Elliott was an unused substitute for the third game running as Aston Villa lost 2-1 to Go Ahead Eagles – a result which Arne Slot had a surprising role in.
Elliott joined Villa on deadline day in an initial loan deal that seemed promising for a player of his proven quality and need for game time.
But the move – which includes a £35 million obligation to buy if he plays 10 or more games – has proved difficult so far, with head coach Unai Emery clearly not holding him in high regard.
Villa took on Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles in their third game of the Europa League on Thursday night and Elliott was again named on the bench.
And just like their victories over Burnley and Tottenham either side of the international break, he went unused throughout as Emery instead turned to a number of other attacking options.
Evann Guessand started on the right flank and scored, playing the full 90 minutes along with attacking midfielder Emi Buendia, while Jadon Sancho was deployed on the left and later replaced by Morgan Rogers.
The sight of Emery making a quadruple substitution on the 66-minute mark and not turning to Elliott summed up where the No. 9 stands at Villa.
How Slot helped plot Villa’s defeat
According to the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, Go Ahead Eagles head coach Melvin Boel made contact with Slot – who he worked alongside at Feyenoord – for advice ahead of their clash with Villa, and was provided with detailed analysis from Liverpool.
The Reds are due to host Villa in the Premier League on November 1, so it could be encouraging that Go Ahead Eagles were able to benefit from their preparation work on Thursday night.
Elliott’s treatment raises questions over whether the deal was a priority for either Emery or his club in the first place, or whether it was a matter of convenience given the favourable terms Liverpool offered to navigate Villa’s PSR issues.
There is even a chance that Elliott returns to Anfield, either in January or next summer, if Emery truly does not consider him part of his plans.
If he were to have featured in every game since he joined Villa, Sunday’s home clash with Man City would have seen the 22-year-old reach 10 appearances and, according to reports around his transfer, trigger his permanent move.
Instead he has only played in five of the nine fixtures he has been available for so far, starting two and clocking just 167 minutes on the pitch.
He scored Villa’s first goal of the season on his full debut against Brentford in the Carabao Cup, but was brought off at half-time in his only Premier League start against Fulham and hasn’t been involved since.
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