Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has admitted that he has work to do to secure a place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI despite scoring in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory against Arsenal.
The 26-year-old made it three goals in his last two games with a sensational effort against his former club as Liverpool progressed to the quarter-final on penalties following an incredible 5-5 draw in normal time.
Oxlade-Chamberlain netted twice on his previous appearance during a 4-1 victory against Genk in the Champions League last Wednesday but was an unused substitute in the 2-1 victory over Spurs in the Premier League on Sunday.
And the England international believes he must improve on the ball if he is to force his way into Klopp’s plans for the Premier League.
‘Quality-wise, I am not too happy with my performance to be honest,’ Oxlade-Chamberlain acknowledged after the game.
‘I wasn’t great on the ball and not near my own personal level of where I want to be. I put in a good shift and run a lot.
‘I watch the boys of a weekend and I know what it is about here. You have got to be at a really high physical level to go and put in a performance like that.
‘Fab (Fabinho) did really well at the weekend so I need to keep pushing myself and maybe I will get a chance.’
Klopp appears to have settled on a first-choice midfield of Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson so far this term with the trio featuring regularly in Liverpool’s midfield during their opening Premier League matches.
Between them, they have only scored two goals across 29 combined league appearances, though, and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s recent purple patch in front of goal has seen him emerge as an interesting option for Klopp in central midfield.
Speaking about his latest goal, Oxlade-Chamberlain said: ‘At the minute they are not tap-ins, let’s put it that way.
‘It was a pretty good goal so it was really hard to keep the celebrations in but that is always something that I knew I would do against my former club.
‘I always want to show a lot of respect for Arsenal and what they did for me and the times I had there.
‘I didn’t want to celebrate but it was a tough one to hold in. I wanted to take my shirt off and go mad.’
