Advertisement

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's Liverpool form highlights how badly Arsene Wenger failed him

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal supporters weren’t exactly cut up about the departure of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer. In fact, some fans openly celebrated the sale of the England international to Liverpool for £35million. The midfielder-turned-wing back had become a scapegoat. Many blamed him for the decline of the Gunners. How he has since shown them.

It took Oxlade-Chamberlain a while to find his feet on Merseyside, with Jurgen Klopp slowly bleeding the 24-year-old into the Liverpool first team. But against Premier League pacesetters Manchester City on Sunday, he showed his true value. He showed that £35million might actually turn out to be a fair price for a much-maligned talent.

Of course, it should be pointed out that Arsenal fans’ derision of Oxlade-Chamberlain during his time at the club wasn’t entirely unfair. Arsene Wenger mis-used him so badly, he broke the England international as a talent. Wenger failed to harness the raw potential Oxlade-Chamberlain possesses, systematically breaking down his confidence with every change of position.

READ MORE: Sanchez agrees Man Utd deal – but there’s a hitch

But Klopp is getting much, much more out of the 24-year-old, primarily as a central midfielder. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ability is finally getting put to good use, with the former Arsenal man a perfect fit for Klopp’s fast and furious footballing ideology. The player himself outlined the difference between what the German coach demands of him and what Wenger asked for at Arsenal.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger takes his seat in the stands ahead of the English Premier League soccer match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England, Sunday Jan. 14, 2018. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger takes his seat in the stands ahead of the English Premier League soccer match against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, England, Sunday Jan. 14, 2018. (David Davies/PA via AP)

“The biggest thing I’ve had to learn is how this manager likes to stop situations at source and how he likes to attack is slightly different to my manager before,” Oxlade-Chamberlain explained. “I was in certain habits and certain things became second nature to me and in football it is all about instinct. You train and train a certain thing so when you are in that situation you don’t think about it.

“It just might be a simple trigger when something happens and the defence passes to that player and the ball is slightly behind him. That is your cue to go and press. At your previous club you might not even look into that. I have about 100 different things but it is all those adding up.

From Oxlade-Chamberlain’s comments, it sounds as if he is being retrained by Klopp. His footballing brain is being tested by new and different theories on how the game can be played. At Arsenal, like so many players at the Emirates, the midfielder fell into a state of unchallenged, unmotivated comfort. At Liverpool, though, Oxlade-Chamberlain is being tested and that is getting the best out of him.

READ MORE: Jose ‘would gladly swap Mkhitaryan for Sanchez’

What’s more, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been given the platform to perform at a higher level. Now, he is becoming a key member for a team competing in the Champions League, a team not far away from challenging for the Premier League title, a team that appears to be heading in the right direction. All the while, Arsenal continue to endure something of an existential crisis.


With Philippe Coutinho now finally a Barcelona player, Oxlade-Chamberlain will surely be given more responsibility in his favoured central position. This isn’t to say he will be a straight replacement for the Brazilian playmaker, but the England international brings a different dynamic to the Liverpool lineup.

The performance turned in against Man City set a precedent for Klopp’s side, and for Oxlade-Chamberlain. There was an intensity to their performance that not even Pep Guardiola’s men could match. Sustaining that against lesser teams, when the stakes aren’t so high, will be difficult, but Klopp has put in place a game plan that gets the best from his side, especially Oxlade-Chamberlain. Klopp has already done something Wenger never could.