Harvey Elliott described his own decision as “selfish” and “what’s best for me”. He spoke remarkably fondly of his six largely peripheral years at Liverpool but stressed the importance of being in “a team where I’m getting regular minutes” and recapturing “that feeling of going into a matchday knowing you’re going to play”.
By the time he is next eligible to take to the pitch for Aston Villa, it will have been more than a month since his last appearance. He needs to play just five more times to trigger the obligation to buy in his £35m loan move, yet it is currently unclear when those games will come.
Elliott at least went into Sunday under no illusions: having been left out of the squad altogether to face Manchester City there was never any uncertainty over what role he would play in an impressive win.
It is not one he will be used to. Elliott made every matchday squad for which he was available in both of his two last seasons with Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp has frequently expressed his “regret” at not being able to offer him more opportunities to play. Arne Slot often echoed that sentiment. But Unai Emery has dropped his summer signing and will make no apologies for it.
It comes down to “adaptation” and competition. The Villa manager referenced Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendia, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and even Ross Barkley when listing the options capable of filling his attacking midfield positions, with the case of Tielemans most frequently cited as proof that a protracted period of adjustment can precede excellence under Emery.
The hope is that with time and patience, Elliott can undergo a similar transformation after that initial learning curve. But much like for his former club, this has been a confused and chastening start.
Almost unfathomably considering 12 points separated them after five games, Villa are behind Liverpool on goal difference alone four matches later. While the midweek Europa stumble in Netherlands was deeply frustrating, this was an organised, committed and diligent response.
John McGinn put on his biennial masterclass against Manchester City. Amadou Onana was exceptional. The Konsa-Torres axis was impenetrable. Evann Guessand put on a pressure-relieving clinic as a late substitute.
The only part Villa could not really argue to have planned and executed to the letter was the goal. Austin McPhee probably hasn’t been running drills in which a short corner is drilled low to Matty Cash on the edge of the area, for the right-back to control and fire into the bottom corner with his left foot. Although set-piece coaches are undoubtedly weird so you never know.
Beyond that, Villa carved out a couple of opportunities for Ollie Watkins while limiting the visitors to precious few clear-cut chances. Erling Haaland completely Babb’d himself scoring an offside goal to sum up an afternoon of exasperation for Pep Guardiola.
It was a deserved win for Villa, a continuation of their run of Premier League form, and ultimately also a statement to and marker for Elliott. In a 15-minute cameo Barkley made one sublime turn and pass to set Watkins through before later blocking a shot on the edge of the area. It should be a low bar for a Premier League winner and champion with the England U21s to clear.
But it is one Emery feels Elliott is falling short of. The manager admits he is “very, very demanding” when it comes to team selection, and cut off at the source any suggestion the 22-year-old’s performances in training had been sub-par. The problem is where and how Elliott fits into this team’s structure, and whose place he is worthy of taking.
Villa beating Manchester City without Elliott even in the squad has to be a wake-up call, especially considering how well his teammates carried out what was asked of them. With another weekend on the sidelines guaranteed when Emery takes his squad up to Anfield on Saturday, Elliott will have ample time to contemplate his perennial search for “regular minutes”.
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