Harvey Elliott sent off in Valencia nightmare as boss speaks on 'absurd' moment

Aguirre's side took an early advantage through Pepelu's first-half penalty before Alex Freeman drew Villarreal level. Pape Gueye's dismissal appeared to hand Valencia a golden opportunity to secure only their second league victory of the season.

However, Liverpool loanee Elliott was shown his marching orders in the 89th minute after collecting two rapid yellow cards, leaving both sides with 10 men in the dying stages. Elliott, who had only entered the fray as a 69th-minute substitute, was initially booked for a foul before seemingly receiving a second yellow card from the referee for dissent.

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Georges Mikautadze then delivered the decisive blow in the 96th minute as Villarreal departed the Mestalla with all three points. Elliott arrived at Valencia as a high-profile loan signing in the summer, yet has failed to register a single goal or assist in six appearances this campaign.

His red card left Aguirre incensed, and the manager made no attempt to conceal his frustration in his post-match press conference. "It's an absurd, ridiculous sending-off," he said.

"I don't know what he could have said to the referee, he barely speaks Spanish, so getting sent off for something he said just makes me angry. It's a ridiculous dismissal, and I told him as much.

"It's not his fault; the fault is mine, though I'll address it with him privately. Ultimately, the responsibility is mine, because I'm the one who decides who plays and how we play.

"We were in a solid position and it was 11 against 10, but the sending-off disrupted everything. We ended up playing an all-or-nothing, wide-open game."

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Elliott endured a torrid 2025/26 campaign, having spent time on the sidelines after departing Liverpool for Aston Villa on loan. Villa chose not to field the 23-year-old midfielder in order to avoid triggering a £35million obligation to buy clause.

He moved to Valencia this summer following conversations with Carlos Corberan, yet the former West Brom boss was swiftly dismissed after a dreadful start to the season. Matters have failed to improve for either him or the club under former Mexico manager Aguirre.

Valencia have claimed just six points from 10 matches and find themselves rooted in 19th place in La Liga. Elliott, meanwhile, has managed only 152 minutes of football, with the Spanish media suggesting last month that he is carrying excess weight.

The midfielder remains contracted to Liverpool - where he has contributed 15 goals and 21 assists across 149 appearances, until June 2028 and is desperately seeking a return to form.

Sadly, Saturday's red card represents yet another setback in his stuttering career.