After an impressive performance midweek Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain deserves to start for Liverpool against Tottenham on Sunday.
In the cold Luminus Arena on Wednesday night at Genk, there was a special Liverpool spark which illuminated the mood and warmed the boisterous travelling crowd.
Less than two minutes into Liverpool’s Champions League group stage tie, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fired a deft rocket which flew unopposed into the Belgian side’s net.
It was a smart and powerful shot that wrong footed the Genk keeper and rendered him immobile.
Just 54 minutes later, it was Chamberlain again with an effortless dinked shot using the outside of his foot which sent the Belgian keeper frozen into a statute yet again.
Prior to the game, Chamberlain must have felt the pressure, after all, it was only his third start of the season since recovering from his nightmare injury in 2018. The English midfielder had been struggling to reignite his form from prior to that horrific injury, but in Belgium on Wednesday night, Chamberlain delivered.
It wasn’t only the Ox’s impressive and cleverly struck goals however which caught the eye, it was Chamberlain’s overall play in the Liverpool system playing in the midfield three that stood out the most and sent fans smacking their lips with excitement.
Chamberlain was a menace throughout the game. He showed glimpses of his clever darting rans forward which made him such an asset prior to his injury, and ran rings around the Genk defence. The Ox’s link up play with Liverpool’s mercurial front three was like a dream, and he looked as if he had never been out of the team.
At times during this season and last year the usual midfield pairing of Henderson and Wijnalum in front of Fabinho have had the tendency to get a little rigid, and Chamberlain offers the fluidity in midfield to enable Liverpool’s free flowing football.
It is why Klopp despite his comments about how Chamberlain’s performance ‘could have been better’, should start the Ox against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Tottenham have struggled for form this season and defensively they are there to be exploited having shipped 7 goals against Bayern and 3 against Brighton. Oxlade-Chamberlain has the potential to provide the free-flowing football to breakdown Tottenham’s defence.
Klopp should use Chamberlain to drive at Tottenham’s defence and hit the struggling side where it hurts. Chamberlain’s pace and direct style could have the potential to unlock the Tottenham defence and cause havoc just like it did mid-week against Genk.
Even if Liverpool don’t hit form, Chamberlain’s ability to pull spectacular goals out of his locker from nowhere like he did against Genk or Manchester City two seasons ago could come useful for Liverpool if the Tottenham side from last season show up.
Chamberlain has the potential to play a vital role for Liverpool this season and the Reds’ number 23 looks to have hit form at the right time. His return makes Liverpool an even more formidable outfit and Klopp will surely utilise his man to bring the best out of the Reds.