Harvey Elliott has yet to make any real impression since arriving at Aston Villa.
The midfielder joined on loan from Liverpool on deadline day, a move widely seen as a vital attacking addition at Villa Park. He arrived alongside Jadon Sancho, who made a similar short-term switch from Manchester United.
So far, neither player has enjoyed much involvement under Unai Emery, with opportunities limited mainly to the Carabao Cup clash against Brentford — a tie Villa lost on penalties at the first hurdle.
Elliott’s presence is now drawing criticism in B6, with the deal viewed as a possible misstep after Villa’s sluggish start to the season.
Elliott deal questioned at Villa Park
Pundit Owen Hargreaves likened Elliott to Martin Ødegaard earlier this week, though Villa fans are still waiting to see those qualities. Emery’s reluctance to trust him has restricted the England U21 man to just 118 minutes in claret and blue.
Stat vs Sunderland
- Minutes played: 32
- Shots: 2
- Pass accuracy: 87%
- Crosses completed: 1
- Defensive actions: 1
At 22, he has already netted once for the club, but his reputation within Bodymoor Heath is far from glowing. Former scout Bryan King added to the doubts, suggesting Elliott was not the type of signing Villa required after a tough summer, insisting the club should have gone for “another Morgan Rogers or Ollie Watkins” instead.
