Curtis Davies has suggested that both Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo were magic for Liverpool after their introductions in the second-half against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Davies was speaking on BBC Radio Five Live after the Reds secured a 3-0 win at Anfield to move back to within three points of the Premier League summit.
Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo came on around the hour-mark with the writing already seemingly on the wall for Forest. And the pair combined late on for what appeared to be Liverpool’s fourth goal of the afternoon.
Curtis Davies lauds impact from Harvey Elliott and Cody Gakpo in Liverpool win
However, Curtis Davies noticed that Gakpo was immediately fearful of being called offside. He did however, praise the pair for the impact they made after coming off the bench during the second-half.
“He’s not celebrated because I think he thinks he’s offside. But the energy of the two subs since they’ve been on has been magic,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.
“Harvey Elliott has not stopped working. Yeah, he’s offside. But the energy of the two of them; when you’re 3-0 down, you’re hoping that they just see the game out, they keep the ball.
“But these two have kept them going, kept them defending, kept them honest. And Harvey Elliott puts a great ball across. But Gakpo knew it when he tucked it in, he was a good yard offside.”
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
Pair deserve huge credit for leaving Jurgen Klopp with tough decision
Elliott may have wished that he would have featured more in the opening stages of the campaign. He has only made one start so far in the Premier League.
But he is certainly staking a claim for more game-time with his contributions off the bench. Rio Ferdinand suggested that Elliott was tremendous when he came on in the Merseyside derby. And he has impressed yet again today.
Both Elliott and Gakpo have a tough task trying to break into the side while the likes of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are playing so well.
But it says everything about how good they have both been that they are putting a bit of pressure on and sending a message to Klopp with their performances.
Liverpool look to be well on their way to getting back to their best again. They are not yet the finished article – particularly as they lack depth in a couple of areas.
However, they still find themselves within touching distance of the summit of the Premier League. And they have so many players who are only going to improve further in the coming years.
Elliott and Gakpo are two of those who have massive roles to play in the Reds’ future.