Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored once and assisted another as Premier League leaders Liverpool just about beat Arsenal in the EFL Cup after a 5-5 draw.
An assist and a wonderful 25-yard volley? Most players would be more than happy with their nights work but not Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Speaking to the Independent after Liverpool edged past Arsenal on penalties in a remarkable EFL Cup fourth round tie at Anfield, the returning midfielder has admitted that he was far from pleased with his own performance despite two moments of genuine top quality.
It was Oxlade-Chamberlain who sparked a scarcely-believable 10-goal thriller into action when his teasing cross was turned into his own net by a sliding Shkodran Mustafi after just four minutes.
He also found the net against his former employers in the second half, locating the top corner with a screaming half-volley – a goal that perhaps eclipsed his Dennis Bergkamp-esque flick away at Genk last week.
But Oxlade-Chamberlain still found plenty of room for improvement after a 5-5 draw which will go down in the annals as one of the greatest clashes in League Cup history.
“Quality-wise, I am not too happy with my performance to be honest,” said the £40 million man. “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.”
To be fair, Oxlade-Chamberlain did go a little quiet after a barnstorming start with much of the game passing him by before he thumped that scorcher of a shot past Emiliano Martinez.
If he is to force his way back into Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI on a regular basis, he needs to influence games over 90 minutes, not just for a few brief moments.
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