Harvey Elliott - Analysis of Reds’ Key Impact Player Off the Bench in 2023/24

With only nine starts from 22 appearances (only one start in the league), Harvey Elliott has become the ultimate go-to substitution player for Liverpool this season. The former Fulham youngster has had impactful performances off the bench that have been turning the direction of the result of games. 

Take the Merseyside derby or the away game against Crystal Palace for example - Elliott has played his role perfectly in terms of adding the right kind of impetus in the middle and final third. The fact that the 20-year-old can play in multiple positions across the midfield and forward line, helps the manager in being flexible on who to bring off when putting him on.

At times, we do forget that the Englishman is just 20 and has time on his side to further develop his game and become a regular starter here. Things did go smoothly for him at the start of the 2021/22 season, but a nasty injury halted the progress to an extent.

However, the plot is starting to look good for him once again. Let’s take a look at some of the numbers of this season and also compare them with the last two years for checking his progression at Anfield.

There isn’t much to garner from the heatmap because the 20-year-old has only started one league game, but it can be said that there is primary emphasis on him to come on the right-hand side of the midfield or attack. He has the ability to drive past players, carve defences out with a through a pass or link up with players on that side to open a gap.

Premier League Midfielders - 23/24 Season, ft. H. Elliott

This section contains visuals of midfielders from the Premier League this season. Players who have played a minimum of three 90s are included for sample size purposes (and also to accommodate Elliott).

There isn’t a midfielder in the league with a better combination of passing accuracy and expected assist (xA) numbers than Elliott. The 20-year-old is currently at 0.38 xA per 90 with a pass success rate of 87%. It tells you something about his quality on the ball - exceptional!

The Liverpool man is the best midfielder in the league at touches and carries into the final third per 90. This represents the confidence he exudes in possession to progress the ball for the team and create chances in the final third or closer to the opposition box.