THE OX NIGHTS LIKE THAT ARE WHY I LEFT ARSENAL FOR LIVERPOOL In six years at Emirates Alex never got past the last 16; now he’s on brink of a semi-final
KOP midfielder Alex Oxlade-chamberlain said Liverpool’s Champions League win over City vindicated his decision to move to Anfield. England star Ox scored with a stunning 25-yard strike in the 3-0 win as Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Reds humiliated soon-tobe-crowned league champions City.
In six years at former club Arsenal the Ox never made it past the last-16 stage but now stands on the verge of a Champions League semi-final.
And asked if his goal and Liverpool’s win had justified his £30million switch from Arsenal – currently in the Europa League – Oxladechamberlain said: “Definitely.
“The manager has been pushing me all season and shouting at me for not taking games by the scruff of the neck and providing those kind of moments, being the one shooting and making the difference.
“It’s starting to pay off and that’s what I’ve wanted to do from midfield. It shows why I wanted to come here and now I want to keep improving.”
The 24-year-old (above, with manager Klopp) has now scored five goals for the Reds but says there is still room for improvement.
“I could have been better on the ball so I was a bit disappointed with that and there are areas I need to improve on,” he said. “As for the goal, I
HOT SHOT: Distance 26 yards; Speed 77.1mph
need to produce more moments like that. There were a few runs where I broke the line and it was just the last man I didn’t manage to get past or didn’t get the shot off. It’s those moments when I could have had a second goal or set someone up, so there are definitely areas I can work on.
“That’s the way I’ve always been. I can be hard on myself and beat myself up. I have to set the bar high, I have to improve to get to where I want to get.” Oxlade-chamberlain said Liverpool cannot afford to sit on their lead in the return leg next Tuesday.
“We’re not going there accepting they’re going to dominate the game,” he said. “If we can get a goal, they need five to put us out so that’s a massive incentive.”