Opinion: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's unexpected comeback has given Liverpool another dimension

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will forever be synonymous with Liverpool’s first truly momentous European night under Jurgen Klopp. The midfielder lit up Anfield with a driven strike from outside the box to put Liverpool two goals up in a Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City that finished 3-0.

This set in motion a run that saw Klopp’s team make it past City and Roma (who he suffered a serious knee injury against) on their way to the final in Kiev. What’s more, this result and performance announced Liverpool as a formidable force under the German and Oxlade-Chamberlain was, at that time, central to the whole operation.

A lot has happened since then. Liverpool have firmly re-established themselves at the top of the English and European game after winning the Champions League and Premier League titles between 2019 and 2020, but Oxlade-Chamberlain played very little part in these specific triumphs.

After playing 42 times in the 2017/18 season, injury saw Oxlade-Chamberlain make just two appearances in total the season after. This was before he found himself sidelined for a large part of the 2020/21 season with the midfielder starting just two Premier League fixtures over the course of the whole campaign.

Even when Oxlade-Chamberlain was given a chance to force his way back into the side, he appeared a shadow of the figure who gave City such problems in that landmark Champions League match. It is therefore surprising to see the 28-year-old contributing once again as a Liverpool player.

While Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane grabbed the goals to give Liverpool a 2-0 home win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, Oxlade-Chamberlain was arguably the best player on the pitch. His driving runs and willingness to break the lines gave the Spanish visitors to Anfield problems throughout. Without him, Liverpool would have found Atleti more stubborn opponents.

Rather ironically given Oxlade-Chamberlain’s own fitness record, Liverpool’s midfield injury crisis has given the 28-year-old another opportunity to prove his worth as a first team figure and his performance against Atletico Madrid offered a reminder of why he was once deemed such an important figure at the club.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, when fit and firing, gives Liverpool a different dimension through the centre of the pitch. Initially a winger by trade, Klopp recognised his worth as a central midfielder after luring him from Arsenal and opened the door to parts of his game that had previously been locked away. It was that positional promise that persuaded him to move to Anfield rather than join Chelsea where Antonio Conte saw him as a right wing-back.

Midfielders in Oxlade-Chamberlain’s mould have become more common in recent times - see Jude Bellingham - but he opened minds to what a central operator could be. He can’t be classed as a box-to-box midfielder, nor is he a playmaker or an anchor, but Oxlade-Chamberlain opens up pockets of space for Liverpool when he’s on the pitch.

For all their success under Klopp, Liverpool’s midfield has long been the subject of much debate among fans and experts. Most agree Fabinho’s place at the base of the trio is safe, but Thiago Alcantara, Harvey Elliott, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones and Naby Keita have failed down the other two spots. This should give Oxlade-Chamberlain encouragement, even if he ended his evening against Atletico Madrid with another knee concern.

Competition is stiff in Liverpool’s midfield, but Oxlade-Chamberlain’s skill set as, in essence, a winger in a central role is rather different to that of any of his Liverpool teammates. His unexpected comeback has refreshed the Reds. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s recent form means he might always be defined by that memorable goal against Manchester City. He has plenty more to offer.