Oxlade-Chamberlain Happy with Newcastle Win, While Klopp Praises the Midfielder

Both player and manager were generally happy with the day’s work.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been widely credited for playing the best football of his career since making the move to Anfield from North London, and today’s performance proved no exception. Providing an assist for the opening goal along with a number of important moments in transition, he is proving to be a key player in linking the dangers the front three pose with the rest of the side.

And the man himself seemed to feel it was an important team effort today. “Rafa Benitez’s side are always well organised”, BBC Sport report him telling BT Sport. We worked all week on ways to break [Newcastle] down. It was getting frustrating in the first half but in the end we managed to get in behind. It was an easy finish in the end”.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was also keen to praise his colleagues’ efforts, telling BBC Sport that “we have got different ways of playing and in the end we found a way through. We work on finding players between the lines”. Signalling out the again terrific Mo Salah, who he was able to provide an assist for today, he said “it has been a great season for Mo. He has kept going, kept pushing on and the goals keep coming”

Jürgen Klopp was quietly pleased with the Englishman’s performance, albeit in a reserved manner as to keep the pressure off. Telling BBC Sport that Oxlade-Chamberlain has had “a few good games, the manager stressed that “he came from another club with a specific style of play and he [needed] to adapt”. Crediting his goal and general style of play, he added that “players like [Oxlade-Chamberlain] need to play with instinct - you could see that with the first goal. It was outstanding and I don’t think it would’ve been possible for him a few weeks ago but now it is and I really like it”.

It has been clear that the former Arsenal man has slowly come to grips with what Klopp is asking him to do over the course of the season, and this should hopefully mean we have many more great performances from him to come.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com