Harvey Elliott took just two matches to score his first goal since leaving Liverpool. The midfielder made a transfer deadline day loan move to Aston Villa, who are obligated to sign the player permanently for £35 million in the next summer transfer window.

Elliott returned from the international break to debut for the Premier League club when they played Everton last weekend. A second appearance swiftly followed Tuesday evening as Villa took on Brentford in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The 22-year-old talent got on the scoresheet with a smartly taken strike just before half-time. John McGinn dispossessed an opposition defender, enabling his new colleague to latch onto the loose ball and slot a finish beneath Brentford goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson.

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Unfortunately for Elliott, his new side could not maintain their advantage and eventually lost a penalty shootout after Aaron Hickey equalised during the 90 minutes. Matty Cash and McGinn missed for Villa, with Elliott not one of their five takers.

To mark his individual milestone, he posted on Instagram: "Glad to get off the mark last night, but unfortunate to go out. Go again Sunday [prayer emoji]."

Among his former Reds teammates, Tyler Morton offered the most encouragement. The midfielder, who also departed Anfield this summer for Lyon, responded: "What a guy."

Among those who liked the social media post were current Liverpool players Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Kaide Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Ryan Gravenberch, Trey Nyoni, Virgil van Dijk, Vitezslav Jaros, and Wataru Endo. Several former Reds who have moved on in recent years also liked the post, including Caoimhin Kelleher, Luis Diaz, Naby Keita, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

For Villa, Elliott's arrival seems to be perfectly timed. Despite their cup exit, it marked their first goal in competitive action for the 2025/26 season.

Liverpool will monitor the Englishman's progress as they could benefit further from moving the player on. As part of the deadline day transfer agreement, the Reds included both a sell-on clause and a buy-back clause.

It means Liverpool could profit further from the player in the future. That would be either if another club purchases him or his development impresses them enough to trigger a bid to bring him back to Anfield.

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