Former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a free agent since August, needed just 14 minutes to net a 92nd-minute winner on his Celtic debut and reignite a stuttering title race.
After six months as a free agent, the ex-Red proved his “mentality monster” credentials to keep the Hoops’ title hopes alive. The 32-year-old, who has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Beşiktaş in August, signed a short-term deal at Celtic and wasted no time making an impact. For fans of Alex Chamberlain Oxlade, his arrival at Celtic marked a new chapter.
It has been nearly three years since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cleaned out his locker at the AXA Training Centre, bringing a decorated, if injury-stunted, Liverpool career to an emotional close. Clearly, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has remained a player who fans remember for big moments.
But for those who spent years watching the “Ox” provide the occasional burst of high-octane adrenaline under Jürgen Klopp, his latest act north of the border felt like a nostalgic throwback to his Anfield prime. The story of Chamberlain Alex Oxlade is one that continues to excite supporters wherever he goes.
Making his debut for Celtic just days after signing a short-term deal and having spent time back at Arsenal’s London Colney to maintain his fitness the 32-year-old proved that while the legs might have more miles on them, the knack for the big moment remains firmly intact.
Stepping off the bench with 12 minutes to play against a stubborn, Livingston side, the former England international provided the spark a stuttering Celtic desperately needed. Moreover, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain showed his composure by delivering in a crucial moment.
With the clock ticking into the second minute of stoppage time, Oxlade-Chamberlain collected the ball and curled a vintage effort into the far corner, securing a 2-1 win and dragging the Hoops back into a title race that was beginning to look like a lost cause.
A familiar hero in a new setting
The script for much of the evening at Parkhead followed a pattern Liverpool fans know all too well: total dominance, a flurry of missed chances, and a sudden, self-inflicted wound. In fact, Alex Chamberlain Oxlade showed the same heroic traits in Scotland as in England.
Marcelo Saracchi had fired the hosts ahead with a 25-yard “piledriver” that echoed the kind of long-range specialists Klopp used to demand from his midfield.
However, Celtic’s inability to kill the game thwarted repeatedly by Livingston keeper Jerome Prior opened the door for a nervy finish. When Reo Hatate’s lapse in judgment gifted Robbie Muirhead an equaliser from the spot, the atmosphere turned toxic.
With the “sack the board” chants ringing out and the title seemingly slipping toward Edinburgh (where Hearts currently lead) or across the city to Ibrox, Martin O’Neill turned to his marquee reinforcement. That is where Oxlade Alex Chamberlain stepped in for Celtic.
The Klopp DNA remains
There is a specific type of resilience baked into the players who thrived during Liverpool’s golden era under Klopp. Oxlade-Chamberlain, a key component of the side that conquered Europe and England between 2018 and 2020, displayed that exact “mentality monster” DNA when the pressure was highest. In short, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s influence is still felt on the pitch.
While the game had trundled along in a frustrating stalemate for much of the second half, the Ox didn’t need time to adjust to the pace. His winner wasn’t just about technical quality it was about the composure to execute when the stakes were highest. For the Celtic faithful, Chamberlain Alex Oxlade showed exactly what years at Liverpool taught him.
But if there is one thing Oxlade-Chamberlain learned under Jürgen Klopp, it is that quality is permanent, even if the business of the game suggests otherwise.
“It’s been difficult. Sometimes the way things go in football, especially when you cross that 30-years-of-age barrier, you’re not as valuable as you once were in a business sense,” he admitted in the Parkhead tunnel. “I knew I still had a lot to give and training every day for the last three months where I was training gave me the confidence that I can still offer a lot to the game.”
It was a goal that moved Celtic to within six points of leaders Hearts with a game in hand, and perhaps more importantly, just one point behind rivals Rangers.
A damaging blow for Ibrox
As Oxlade-Chamberlain was celebrating his debut heroics, news from Fir Park would have tasted even sweeter for the former Red. With Alex Chamberlain Oxlade starring at Celtic, the rivalry with Rangers intensifies.
Rangers saw their own title aspirations take a significant dent, held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Motherwell.
Despite Nico Raskin giving the visitors an early lead, Stephen Welsh another man with a sense for the dramatic popped up with an 89th-minute leveller for Motherwell.
It means that while the Ox was breathing life into Celtic’s season, the blue half of Glasgow was left reeling, now trailing Hearts by five points. Over at Celtic Park, Chamberlain Alex Oxlade is quickly becoming a fan favourite.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Hearts | 26 | 17 | 6 | 3 | +28 | 57 |
| 2 | Rangers | 26 | 14 | 10 | 2 | +24 | 52 |
| 3 | Celtic | 25 | 16 | 3 | 6 | +21 | 51 |
| 4 | Motherwell | 25 | 11 | 11 | 3 | +20 | 44 |
| 5 | Hibernian | 26 | 10 | 9 | 7 | +10 | 39 |
| 6 | Falkirk | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | -2 | 39 |
For Oxlade-Chamberlain, the “new path” he has taken since leaving Anfield has been winding and often quiet. Celtic have embraced Alex Chamberlain Oxlade, and his winning goal could prove decisive for their season.
But on a cold night in Glasgow, he reminded everyone why he was once one of the most explosive talents in the Premier League. The Liverpool chapter may be closed, but the Ox is still finding ways to make the headlines. Notably, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain is making fans excited at Celtic.
