Oxlade-Chamberlain: We Just Wanted to Win

At the end of the 4-3 thriller at Anfield this weekend, there was plenty of praise to go around (and some particularly harsh words about the last ten minutes or so). A pretty sizable portion of that praise should be heaped on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had yet another fantastic performance. The midfielder opened scoring in the 9th minute and continued to be crucial throughout the entire game.

“It’s a nice statement for us to make [to beat City]. They have been brilliant all year, they are a fantastic side and they have showed that,” Oxlade-Chamberlain told Sky Sports after the game. “We knew we had what it took, if we were at 100 per cent, to get three points. It’s good that we did it. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter who it is, we just wanted to win.”

“They like to play out from the back, and they’re really good at it,” Ox added when he was asked about City’s gameplay and how Liverpool had prepared to combat it. “But at the same time, we thrive when teams try to do that. It can play into our hands. In the second half, when we went on a bit of a rampage for five or 10 minutes, that showed. They got out a few times, as they will, they’re a quality side.”

“The plan was to defend them all over the pitch as well as we can, chase them down and then when we get the opportunities, attack and play football like we can.”

And, as always, Ox went out of his way to prove what a treasure he is off the pitch, too.

“The fans were absolutely unbelievable,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said. “It’s one of the best atmospheres I’ve played in. I often say that when I play here most weeks. But they were fantastic today and they helped us over the line.”