Oxlade-Chamberlain's Late Winner Seals Dramatic Celtic Victory Over Livingston
Martin O'Neill hailed the immediate impact of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after his superb stoppage-time strike saw Celtic snatch a dramatic 2-1 win over Livingston at Parkhead. The victory allowed Celtic to capitalise on Rangers' slip-up, closing the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to just one point with a game in hand.
A Game of Twists and Turns
The Parkhead outfit looked on course for a comfortable victory against the Premiership's bottom side when Marcelo Saracchi netted his first goal for the club early in the match. However, with a string of chances being missed, the Lions levelled through Robbie Muirhead's penalty, setting up a tense finale.
As the game entered added time, Livingston appeared good for an unlikely point, but Oxlade-Chamberlain, arriving in the 92nd minute as a substitute, had other ideas. His curling strike from the edge of the penalty area ensured Celtic secured all three points in dramatic fashion.
O'Neill's Delight at New Signing
O'Neill believes the former Arsenal and Liverpool star's extraordinary introduction went a long way to vindicating the decision to bring him to Glasgow. 'He's been a class player, there's no question about it,' said O'Neill. 'He's played for big teams and he's performed brilliantly. I'm just really delighted to have him. Getting him onto the field, he turns the game for us, which is brilliant.'
The Celtic manager expressed his surprise at the dramatic nature of the goal but emphasised Oxlade-Chamberlain's quality. 'Did I think he was going to be as dramatic as that in scoring the goal? Maybe not. But I think that he can give us something, no question about that. He's a really decent player and he gets up to speed with things quickly.'
Calmness Under Pressure
O'Neill felt the calmness the former England international showed as many around him were panicking demonstrated his class. 'It was frantic on the pitch and frantic in the dugout as well,' he said with a smile. 'It was great and I was right behind it when I saw him. The minute it left his foot, I thought, "this is in". It was just great.'
He praised Oxlade-Chamberlain's attitude, noting his modesty and desire to succeed. 'He's incredibly modest about his achievements in the game and he wants to do well. He's 32 years of age and he should be at the peak of his career. He's gone off to Turkey for a couple of years, perhaps no one wanted to take him. He's come up here and he wants to have a go, which is great.'
Areas for Improvement
Despite the dramatic win, O'Neill admitted that his side have to be more clinical in front of goal. 'Honestly, I think we could have been well ahead after 20 minutes in the game,' he said. 'We get the goal and then you're hoping to add the second one. We did have chances before the goal and we had a couple of chances after it.'
He warned of the dangers posed by opponents, even when leading. 'I've said to the players at half-time, the game's still in the balance. Because you know that Livingston are very, very strong with good set-piece deliveries and things like you see have caused us plenty of problems.'
O'Neill also highlighted Oxlade-Chamberlain's positive influence off the pitch. 'He's made a big impact, believe it or not, even in the training sessions with the rest of the players, which is always a good sign. I'm just delighted he's in and I think that when he's properly fit, he'll be great for us.'
The result leaves Celtic in a strong position in the title race, with Oxlade-Chamberlain's late heroics providing a significant boost to their ambitions as the season progresses.
