5 things we learned against Real Betis as Harvey Elliott takes on new role at Liverpool and Trey Nyoni shines

ACRISURE STADIUM, PITTSBURGH — Liverpool began preparations for the new season with a win over Real Betis in Arne Slot’s first official match as manager of the Reds.

Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of the game in the US as the Reds kept a clean sheet and were largely dominant against Manuel Pellegrini’s La Liga side. Liverpool played well and many young players were given the chance to impress.

That’s what Liverpool.com learned from the game, as Harvey Elliott played a new role and Trey Nyoni did very well. It was also a chance to see what Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho could produce.

READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Real Betis as Dominik Szoboszlai impresses
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Formation hint… of a kind

It took a few minutes to work out exactly what Liverpool’s formation was, but it can perhaps best be described as a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-4. Carvalho was on the left and Mohamed Salah on the right, with Elliott and Szoboszlai forming a makeshift forward line, more often than not dropping deep.

It’s important not to read too much into this, though. The reality is that the Reds are currently missing Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, while Diogo Jota wasn’t on the team sheet even though he’s now joined up with his teammates in the US. When those players return, Slot will have the opportunity to play in a completely different way.

Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho remain unchanged

Van den Berg looked a little nervous early on in the evening and showed why he will only be the fourth or fifth choice centre-back at Anfield next season if he stays. His distribution is limited, however good his defensive skills proved to be at Mainz last season. Playing that role for Liverpool is a very different role to playing for a Bundesliga team facing relegation.

Van den Berg has been caught out a few times and has played risky passes when put under pressure. Although he has developed physically since his loan, he is not at the level required for the very top echelons of the Premier League and Champions League.

The same could perhaps be said of Carvalho, who has been playing on the left wing. By the time Diaz and Gakpo return, let alone Jota, there will be too much competition for him to get minutes, meaning there must be a question mark over his future this summer. Carvalho did little wrong here, but he lacks the speed to play out wide and hasn’t done much when in possession.

Dominik Szoboszlai looks sharp… but Curtis Jones is an injury concern

Szoboszlai and Elliott playing as a pair of forwards may not be something we see anymore, but the duo had their moments. The Hungarian in particular looked refreshed after ending his debut season on Merseyside feeling a bit empty. That will be a huge boost for a player who has so far only given a small taste of what he can offer at Liverpool.

Curtis Jones also looked good, although he played in a deeper role than he would normally like. The Liverpool number 17 was positioned alongside Wataru Endo in the middle of the pitch and was assured of possession. It was all going so well for him until he came off with what is (hopefully) just a minor problem.

Young players involved as Trey Nyoni shines

James McConnell was absent due to a minor injury (and not because of interest from several clubs in loaning him out), but there were many other young talents who were given a chance here with so many senior stars absent. By far the most impressive was Nyoni. He is only 17 and was excellent in midfield.

Nyoni came on for the injured Jones and was cool and composed in the middle of the pitch, with almost every pass breaking the opposition lines and finding a team-mate in a good position. The former Leicester City talent won’t be a household name to many Liverpool fans at the moment, but that’s unlikely to be the case for long.

Harvey Elliott to play new role

As part of the new formation, Elliott, as mentioned, played in the middle. He did not seem as comfortable as Szoboszlai in the new role, but playing more like a number 10 than a false nine is certainly something that would suit his skills.

As more players return, Elliott will be able to fight for playing time in his more favourable positions, but this time it was a must. He looked sharp and could be given the chance to build on that in the games against Arsenal and Manchester United before the end of the US tour.