Slot ‘effectively ends player’s Liverpool career’ after what happened v Arsenal
Liverpool had to settle for a point against Arsenal on Sunday as they were pegged back in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal.
The Reds took the lead in the first half thanks to goals in almost immediate succession from Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz.
However, the Gunners managed to get back into the game in the second half, equalising in the 70th minute to give both sides a point.
Arne Slot opted against Harvey Elliott in Arsenal clash
Unlike the 3-1 loss against Chelsea, Arne Slot opted to go for a stronger side to face Arsenal at Anfield.
Slot did come under criticism for his decision to include Trent Alexander-Arnold in the squad at all, although the departing right-back did come on in the 67th minute.
Slot’s final substitution of the afternoon was Harvey Elliott, who came on in the 83rd minute.
Elliott has made 16 Premier League appearances so far this season, starting just one game.
| Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The midfielder’s lack of game time has left some questions surrounding his future on Merseyside and Paul Merson has admitted he doesn’t know if he has what it takes to succeed at Anfield.
Speaking to Sportskeeda (9 May), Merson said: “I look at someone like Harvey Elliot, who is excellent when he comes off the bench.
“But if he has to start a game, he rarely has the same impact. Liverpool could look to move on some players like that if they want to leave.”
Liverpool to part ways with Elliott
Although Slot went for a stronger side to take on Arsenal, the inclusion of Elliott after the 80th-minute surely proves that he is not going to be in favour going forward.
The 22-year-old had one shot since coming onto the pitch, which was off target as well as a zero per cent success rate for accurate crosses.
He may not have had too much time on the pitch, but a side that are Premier League champions and looking for a winning goal would be expecting more from late substitutions in the game.
There is already pressure on Slot and his Liverpool side to perform once again next season and push for another Premier League title, meaning the boss will have plenty of work to do over the summer transfer window.
However, if the Dutchman is looking to add strength to what he already has, that surely muscles Elliott out of the plans.
As Merson says, he has failed to do too much to catch the eye on a regular basis and too few starts this term, even in the latter stages of the campaign, is reflective of that.
Liverpool have to make some big calls to achieve the success they want and for Elliott, that could mean he has reached the end of the road.