Harvey Elliott was not in the matchday squad whatsoever as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Premier League.placeholder image
Harvey Elliott was not in the matchday squad whatsoever as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Premier League. | Getty Images
Unai Emery has admitted why he left Harvey Elliott out of Aston Villa’s squad to face Manchester City.
It was the midfield that shone most at Villa Park as Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana were immovable obstructions at the base, while Emiliano Buendia assisted the only goal of the game and John McGinn ran his socks off for 74 minutes. Elliott, left out, had to watch on as he failed to play any minutes for a fourth successive Premier League fixture – and he’s ineligible for the next outing, away at parent club Liverpool.
Elliott may have won the Premier League title with the Reds last campaign but his involvement was limited as he racked up just 360 minutes. As the 22-year-old revealed to Birmingham World after the 0-0 draw away at Everton in September, he picked Villa after game time assurances from Emery. But, as was the case at Liverpool, he’s had to wait patiently for any opportunities at all.
Why did Harvey Elliott not play against Man City?
Why is it that Elliott isn’t in the frame at the moment, then? There’s no doubting the England Under-21 international has the quality and potential to be an important player for Villa, so what’s stopping him from proving that?
Well, Emery reiterated after the win over City what he had said earlier in the week, insisting Elliott is not yet ready to feature as often as he would ideally like. “I explained it two days ago in the press conference. He is training well, and he played some matches, but the performances weren't what we needed,” Emery explained to Birmingham World.
“Some players are playing as a number 10, and they are playing well, like (Emiliano) Buendia and (Morgan) Rogers, also Ross Barkley after he was out. In the squad today we needed to take one player out, and I decided for him. I am happy with him. He is training good. His commitment is fantastic and he is a good guy. Only a tactical decision.”
Emery has had difficult conversation with Elliott
It’s undoubtedly a tricky period for Elliott as he comes to terms with the fact that his move to Villa hasn’t worked out as hoped just yet, but it’s still early days and there’s plenty of time to turn the tide. Emery never wants any of his players to suffer in silence. With that in mind, the Spaniard recently grabbed Elliott for a chat to explain the situation.
“I spoke with him about it,” Emery added. “My advice was to keep going, and training and when it is his opportunity, to play well. He is a very good player. Our demands are in the high level. Some players, they performed in the same position last year and this year. He needs time to work and wait for his moment.”
Buendia suffering an injury against City may open up a space for Elliott to play more minutes, but that won’t be possible at Anfield. The home clash with Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the UEFA Europa League on November 6 is Elliott’s next opportunity. He’ll be desperate to get out there and impress.
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