Jurgen Klopp was delighted to see Harvey Elliott showcase his eye for goal with an ‘exceptional’ long-range winner during Liverpool’s 1-0 FA Cup third-round victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers, speaking to the Reds’ official website.
With Mo Salah on the bench and Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and all Diogo Jota unavailable, Klopp needed productivity from a rather unlikely source at Molineux. And he got it too.
Elliott netted just his fifth goal in Liverpool colours with just 13 minutes on the clock, and the former Fulham teenager would be hard pressed to ever score a better one; launching a 30-yard rocket up and over an unsuspecting Jose Sa.
HARVEY ELLIOTT STUNNER SEES LIVERPOOL PAST WOLVES IN THE FA CUP
“We scored an exceptional goal where Harvey saw something that I think not a lot of people in the stadium would have saw. If I was a goalie, I wouldn’t have expected a shot in that moment. It was a top goal,” Klopp beams, marking a return of the trademark grin Liverpool supporters have not seen enough of recently.
“When he plays well, I like him everywhere. From that (right-wing) position, you need to score goals. That’s clear.”
Elliott certainly lived up to his end of the bargain, then, channelling his inner-Salah from a more attacking role while setting up a fourth round clash with Brighton and Hove Albion. Revenge, Saturday’s 3-0 hammering at the Amex still fresh in the memory, may perhaps be best served on a January afternoon on the south coast.
Klopp was also full of praise for fellow youngster Stefan Bajcetic; the silky Spaniard once again belying his age with another mature and confident performance in a deep-lying role.
“Good for him. Good player. Very smart in his movements,” Klopp adds. “The younger you are, the more important it is that you have a good start in the game. He had a few situations where I am not sure he saw there was space. Or he just hoped there was space when he turned. And there was actually space.
“He did really well, but what helps really is that he wins these challenges. Having then Thiago next to him is, I think, pretty helpful. Thiago is talking a lot on the pitch. And Naby was really there tonight, which is obviously very helpful.”
