Another rescue act proved beyond Harvey Elliott, as Arne Slot turned to a host of lesser-spotted options to try and salvage Liverpool’s Carabao Cup hopes. But the hero of the first leg against PSG in the Champions League was certainly involved at Wembley, and he felt the full force of a Joelinton tackle that left him limping.
Federico Chiesa, an even more fringe figure than Elliott, gave Liverpool some semblance of hope with a stoppage-time goal. But that was more or less the last bit of actual football to be played, with Newcastle resorting to ugly tactics to see out the win from there.
It felt from the stands as though the ball never left the corner between the goal and the final whistle, except for when there was a chance to waste time at a set piece; there was surely not enough time added on in addition to what was initially signaled to account for all of the Newcastle antics. But Liverpool did occasionally manage to get on the ball, although Joelinton made sure that Arne Slot’s side could not do anything with it when that happened.
The Brazilian’s ability to dodge yellow cards will be studied by future generations. The failed forward has never really grown out of the habit of “strikers’ tackles” since moving back into midfield, routinely wiping out his opponents with industrial challenges.
And when Elliott managed to carry the ball on a rare foray forward — faced with a little bit of space, after five or six Newcastle players had been sucked into trying to trap the ball in the corner — Joelinton made it his mission to take him out. The Liverpool playmaker managed to release the ball but still took a heavy hit for his troubles.
Joelinton grabbed Elliott around the neck in a tackle that would even have drawn a sanction in rugby. He then took two swipes at his legs for good measure.
And footage has emerged that showed Elliott still feeling the effects after the final whistle. Lewis Steele posted a video to X that shows the 21-year-old limping out of Wembley.
Liverpool will hope that it is nothing more than an impact injury, one which Elliott will have shaken off by the time the international break is over. Because if there’s one thing that Slot can learn from Wembley, it’s that he cannot be so afraid to use the full extent of his squad.
While Elliott could not complete the turnaround, he and Chiesa did combine for the goal. They weren’t spectacular by any means, but they offered something different, and the players whom they replaced had done nothing to warrant being on the pitch for so long.
The Premier League title is still yet to be decided, and Slot cannot take it for granted that his core group have what is required to see it over the line after a draining campaign to date. There could be some more important moments for Elliott between now and the end of the season — provided the damage done by Joelinton is not too serious.
