MX23RW : Thursday, May 2 21:16:57| >> :120:5254:5254:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 'relishing' chance to fill Philippe Coutinho void

Ox 'relishing' chance to fill Coutinho void
© Offside
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain acknowledges that he has a chance to hold down a regular starting spot at Liverpool following the high-profile departure of Philippe Coutinho.

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has insisted that he is ready to "stand up and perform" as he looks to fill the void left by Barcelona-bound Philippe Coutinho.

The Reds finally lost Coutinho to the Catalan giants earlier this week, pocketing up to £142m with add-ons for their key playmaker.

Coutinho's departure opens a gap in midfield for Oxlade-Chamberlain to slot into, and the former Arsenal ace is prepared to make it his own after being eased into the role by Jurgen Klopp since arriving in the summer.

"Of course it's an opportunity for me, just as it is for all the rest of the boys who want to play there," he told Sky Sports News. "It is our job to keep the wheels moving and momentum going.

"I am the type of person who relishes the chance to stand up and perform under pressure, I have had to do that my whole career. I was at a big club previously and being at big one now, you know you are always going to have to perform under pressure.

"I haven't really even thought about Phil leaving. You realise it happens but you can't start thinking 'What are we going to do now that Phil is not here?' It can't be that at all. It's business as usual.

"When Phil wasn't in the team we still played great football and we have still amazing players who can score goals - the likes of Mohamed [Salah], Sadio [Mane], Roberto [Firmino]. The fact is he has gone now and we have to think 'What have we got that is going to get the job done?'.

"I have every faith in the boys that we just move on now. I don't think it should affect us at all. When a big player leaves, a big player leaves. You're at a big club like Liverpool, another big player will come in the future. I wish Phil all the very best but the only thing I'm concentrating on is Liverpool and winning as many games as we can - starting with Man City on Sunday."

Oxlade-Chamberlain has 19 Premier League outings under his belt since joining in a £35m deal, with 12 of those coming from the bench.

ID:316074: cacheID:316074:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3116:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Ederson collides with Sadio Mane during the Premier League game between Manchester City and Liverpool on September 9, 2017
Read Next:
This weekend's biggest games in world football
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs341861067541360
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8Chelsea34149116559651
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!