Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the latest player to take up a position on the left of Liverpool’s attack, a role that was shaped by the absence of Roberto Firmino and the style of Darwin Nunez.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made his third consecutive league start at Brentford, his longest streak since February 2020, and he scored his first goal since January 2021.
He started alongside Nunez and Mohamed Salah at forward, a role the Englishman has been given in the absence of Luis Diaz, Diogo Hota and most recently Firmino.
And this is the role of the latter, which he tried to introduce into the flank, playing on the left, with the power of Nunez running behind the defense, rather than sinking deep from the central position.
The 29-year-old was one of the few players to leave Brentford with any merit, and after the match he explained to LFCTV what he was focusing on on the left flank.
“I’ve watched Sadio and Mo play in this position for years and one thing they’ve both excelled at is scoring goals for the team,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said.
“Obviously, it’s a little different when Darwin plays through the center, as he’s such a threat from behind, and usually when Bobby plays that role, he’s the one who goes down a little deeper and fills the half-space.
“This has been my role ever since, when I dive deep and try to make a connection. But in the end, get up with the pace of Darwin and Mo and go around the field.
“That’s what I’ve been missing in the last few games, that real goal threat, so it was nice to get this chance and take it — it’s just a shame, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Despite the injuries, Liverpool’s forward line has been the least of their problems, and the arrival of Cody Gackpo adds another option on the left, which will directly affect Oxlade-Chamberlain.
This, however, may pave the way for a return to midfield — an area of the field in which the Reds desperately need to work, and his physical form will not hurt.
“It’s a massive rhythm and now I’ve had the opportunity to play three and I feel good,” Oxlade added of his series of games.
“When I play and get opportunities in this role, I need to do more and do more to influence the game.
“This was not enough, because goals by any attacking player or creating chances are extremely important, and for me this is no exception.
“Fortunately, in this sense [the goal] was good for my advancement, but, ultimately, the main thing is that I didn’t manage to get a second.
“I’m sure Mo and Darwin will think the same, because if we had this second, maybe things could be different.”
