21 January 2023 , 14:11
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Harvey Elliott had the Anfield crown purring as he left Hakim Ziyech for dead with an impressive show of skill.
The Liverpool youngster has continued to come on under Jurgen Klopp and is firmly a trusted member of the starting XI. He began as part of the front three against Chelsea and showcased his talent midway through the first half as he bamboozled his opponent.
Elliott received the ball in his own half with his first touch taking him towards his own goal. The former Fulham youngster though was able to switch direction as he paused and performed a Cruyff turn before advancing up the pitch with Ziyech firmly left behind.
The home supporters were certainly wowed as they cheered Elliott's efforts. It was a rare highlight in what was a lacklustre first half on Merseyside. Liverpool, who are struggling massively with injuries, thought they'd gone behind early on.
Kai Havertz put the ball in the net after reacting quickest to a shot that rebounded off the post. He reeled away to celebrate what would've been his second goal at Anfield in as many seasons, only to be denied when VAR correctly deemed him to be offside.
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Elliott did score a sensational winner for the Reds from distance as they beat Wolves in an FA Cup replay in midweek. His start against the Blues is his 50th appearance for Liverpool.
Harvey Elliott on the ball for Liverpool against Chelsea (Getty Images)Klopp said on the youngster after his match-winning display on Tuesday: "When he plays well, I like him everywhere, so that's easy. But both wingers did well. Especially, Fabio, I don't know when he played last time, so he did really well. And Harvey, from that position you need to score goals, that's clear.
"For us, we had tonight, if you want, one striker on the pitch and he played slightly deeper in a lot of moments but that's very important. What Harvey had to do today, that's very important. Both wingers had to do that, plus the nine had to do that. We had to defend properly and to defend compact, and whoever is ready to do that is more than welcome to start wherever we will be."