Harvey Elliott’s move to Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool was meant to give the young midfielder regular Premier League minutes.
The 22-year-old joined Villa on deadline day with high hopes of showcasing his talent and gaining more first-team experience.
However, five months into the season, Elliott has barely featured, starting only once in the league and making just five appearances overall.
The competition for attacking midfield spots at Villa is fierce.
Emery’s squad has several players who can operate as a No. 10, a position Elliott prefers.
On top of that, the loan deal carries a clause that would force Villa to pay Liverpool £35 million if Elliott reaches a certain number of appearances.
This adds another layer of pressure and makes careful squad management essential.
Villa’s fixtures have also seen Elliott left out of the squads against big teams, such as Manchester City and Bournemouth, and he was ineligible to play against Liverpool due to Premier League rules.
Emery recently addressed the situation and provided clarity on why Elliott has not played more.
He pointed to two main factors: adaptation and competition.
“The adaptation is something that some players need more than others,” he said.
He also acknowledged the demands on the team to achieve both individual and collective performance, adding, “But the team is going forward and being very demanding to achieve individual and collective performance, also the consistency we need.”
Emery gave specific context regarding the players ahead of Elliott in the hierarchy, especially Emi Buendia.
He explained via Birmingham Live, “He had an injury for 10 months, and after he was training with us.”
“He needed time to get in everything – good, mentally, physically confident.”
“He struggled last year and all the season, firstly with us for six months, not getting his performance and not playing consistently and not feeling really good.”
“When he was on loan in Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen, he didn’t achieve his confidence.”
“He didn’t achieve minutes.”
“He didn’t achieve numbers to recover himself, like a player he is.”
“This year is completely different.”
“He started so focused.”
“He started the season very demanding, getting fit, feeling confident, playing with his skills, showing in each match he played in pre-season.”
“Everything that happened around him, he deserved it because he worked hard to recover his best form as a player like he had before he was here.”
“When we decided to keep him here, and he decided to stay here as well, I was confident he could get the numbers he is achieving.”
Regarding Elliott’s attitude, Emery was clear, “Harvey Elliott, he is working very well.”
“He is working consistently.”
“He is a good guy and his commitment to Aston Villa is fantastic.”
“I am happy how he is doing his work here, but now it is difficult because he has other players playing and performing well, for example Emi Buendia and other players.”
From a Liverpool perspective, Elliott’s loan has shown that talent alone isn’t enough.
Adaptation, form, and squad competition all play huge roles.
Emery’s comments suggest that while Elliott is committed and working hard, breaking into a settled Villa midfield will take patience and persistence.
Read more: Liverpool chairman reveals club was prepared to let star duo leave in summer
Want to get the latest Liverpool news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.