InterviewHarvey Elliott: We have something to put right at Brentford

This Saturday lunchtime, the Reds return to Gtech Community Stadium for the first time since a sobering 3-1 defeat there on the second day of 2023.

Jürgen Klopp’s men make that journey this weekend sitting top of the Premier League table and with the natural incentive of getting three points to stay there.

But their motivation, says Elliott, will be further heightened by a feeling of needing to ‘put things right’ for a disappointing day 13 months ago.

“It’s going to be another very hard game,” the No.19 told Liverpoolfc.com. “Brentford have great talent and a great game plan, especially at their stadium as well with their home fans behind them.

“It’s not going to be easy, no game is easy. We have to dig deep, we have to use our qualities. Especially what happened last season there, we have to put it right this season and hopefully send our fans away happy.”

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Expanding on the emotions of the developing title race, with Liverpool currently two points clear of Manchester City and Arsenal, Elliott said: “It’s hard to put into words but I think for us we just need to stay focused.

“I think the moment you start thinking about other things, other teams and start tuning in to what’s going on elsewhere, that’s when it kind of goes wrong.

“For us, we just need to take it game by game, make sure we win, do our job and then that’s that until the next game. We have many competitions coming up again, it’s going to be a busy period so we can’t be thinking elsewhere, we just need to stay level-headed and focused.

“We just need to keep putting in the work, taking the confidence from each game and hopefully getting the wins.”

Elliott was hugely influential in the Reds securing a win last time out, as Burnley were defeated 3-1 in the Premier League at Anfield.

Replacing the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold at half-time with the score level, Elliott capped a fine substitute performance with assists for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

The 20-year-old is now two games away from a century of appearances for his boyhood club – and feels there is plenty of personal development still to come.

“It’s my job. I need to come on the field, I need to influence the game, I need to score and create,” he said of his impact versus Burnley.

“For me, it’s normal. I need to do it more and that’s something I’ve been trying to work on. I think the manner of the game as well, to be able to come on and create two goals to allow us to win, it’s a great feeling.

“But it’s expectations for me, I can’t get too carried away. It’s my job, as I said, and I need to keep doing it now.”

Asked about his season so far in general, Elliott continued: “It’s good. I feel a lot better than last season, I feel confident in myself more. I feel like my game has been taken to a different step.

“But for me it’s about: keep improving, keep enjoying my football and keep trying to better myself as a person and as a player. I’m still 20, still young and still learning my way, so it’s going to take some time.

“But I feel like I’m on the right path now and I just want to keep improving and keep going.”

Nunez’s clinical header against the Clarets increased the Uruguayan’s goal involvement tally this season to 23 (12 goals, 11 assists).

And Elliott revealed the delight within the dressing room at seeing Nunez flourish, saying of linking up with the No.9 on the pitch: “You don’t really need to look up, to be honest! You kind of know the areas he’s going to be in and more often than not he gets on the end of it.

“It’s just all credit to him, he’s an amazing player and he really helps us out in moments. He has scored some very important goals for us this season and since he’s joined.

“For us, to have him someone like him where you know where he’s going to be; he doesn’t complain, some games he doesn’t score but he puts 110 per cent effort in. That’s all we can ask of him.

“He’s going from step to step to step now and for him we’re all very happy.

“I think the whole world can see now. It’s hard for him to come from a different country first and foremost, but to a country where he doesn’t know the language, he couldn’t speak it. Now he has taken the responsibility of learning English and you can have a conversation with him now, which is nice.

“It’s just all credit to him. He’s going to kick on now and he’s going to show the world, that’s for sure.”