After Mohamed Salah’s equaliser, the 20-year-old stepped up to score in the first minute of stoppage time, giving Crystal Palace, who had been the superior team for the whole of the game, the three points. And in front of the opposing supporters, Elliott staged a Dragon Ball Z-themed celebration after scoring the winning goal.
In the 74th minute, Klopp substituted Elliott for Darwin Nunez, and the English midfielder did not let him down. When the chips were down, he performed like a man on a mission.
Elliott told LFC TV that the manager had told him to “try to make a difference” before he was substituted in. He gave us a lot of freedom, confidence, and—most importantly—the ability to support the squad. It was a difficult matchup with a challenging opponent. There are three more points, and we must continue to develop them. There won’t always be sparkle and glamour; occasionally, we have to perform grunt labour.”
Elliott has had trouble getting into the game this season and is typically brought on as a replacement late in a game. But when Liverpool’s games come thick and fast, he will be hoping that his performance against Palace will persuade Klopp to alter his plans and give him a more significant part. The Reds’ next match comes against Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday in the Europa League. Then, on Sunday, they will play host to Manchester United in a thrilling Premier League match at Anfield.