Harvey Elliott’s emergence at Liverpool should not be taken for granted. Nor should Brighton. But McGinn and Vardy are in the oh dear pile.
Winners
Harvey Elliott
The Liverpool midfield search should and will continue but it is always worth pointing out how extraordinary it is for a teenager to grow quite so accustomed to such a tasking role, not least after suffering a long-term injury.
This is the second consecutive season Harvey Elliott has started in eye-catching form. The dislocated ankle he suffered last September officially sidelined him for four months but it essentially curtailed his campaign: his three starts from January onwards all came in different competitions and they understandably contained more flare than flair.
The “new signing” shtick was wheeled out by Jurgen Klopp in the summer but Elliott’s place should be protected once a new addition is actually made to the squad. That level of tactical intelligence and poise for a player so young is stunning.
“Hopefully I can go out and prove again why I could be, and should be, starting in this team,” Elliott said upon extending his contract after an “intense” pre-season. Mission accomplished.
David Moyes
Fair play for trying something different – bringing the three-man defensive system from the Europa Conference to the Premier League, playing Pablo Fornals as a No.10 and starting as many as three summer signings.
Credit, also, for having both the awareness to realise it was not working and the humility to change it quickly. Ben Johnson’s first-half injury and the removal of debutant Emerson Palmieri at the break facilitated a shift in approach as the Hammers moved towards a four-man backline. Said Benrahma, Emerson’s replacement, soon started to find the pockets of space which eluded the deeper Fornals and West Ham reaped the rewards.
With Kurt Zouma ensuring a sound base from which to build alongside the improving Thilo Kehrer, Declan Rice approaching something close to his old self, new signings settling and Lucas Paqueta soon to join, the parts are starting to fall together again for West Ham. Moyes has earned plenty enough time to prove he is the best man to put them together.
Brighton
A move finished by Brighton’s first ever Premier League signing and started, at the time of writing, by their last. The second-highest top-flight appearance maker in the club’s history combined indirectly with a player making his full debut to finally overcome Leeds.
It was…
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