‘Missing belief, toughness’ – Oxlade-Chamberlain admits difference between Arsenal, Liverpool | OneFootball

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mikel Arteta looking dejected walking back into position

Former Arsenal and Liverpool man Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed the difference between the pair when he played for them, as he feels the Gunners underachieved during his time at the club.

Oxlade-Chamberlain spent six seasons with Arsenal from 2011 to 2017, before moving to Anfield, where he spent another six seasons playing for Liverpool, before leaving in the summer of 2023.

During his time with the Gunners, the Englishman won three FA Cups, as well as coming out on top in the Community Shield on three occasions. With Liverpool, his honours included the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, FA Cup and Club World Cup.

The trophy wins were of a bigger magnitude on Merseyside than they were in north London, and Oxlade-Chamberlain puts that down to the mentality of each of the clubs.

“At Arsenal, we always went into those big games thinking: ‘This is going to be really tough,'” he told The Athletic.

“That was the biggest difference at Liverpool, where, even in the first season, when we were a bit of an unknown entity, there was this unbelievable complete and utter focus where there was nothing else happening but us winning the game.

“I don’t know why, but at Liverpool, the big games, we just knew we were going to win.”

The former Gunner feels that at Arsenal, the side were limited by a lack of killer instinct and knowledge of winning.

“We won FA Cups, but we probably never achieved what we should have done,” Oxlade-Chamberlain added.

“We had unbelievable quality. Football-wise we had everything we needed to do the business.

“We were just missing… belief? Toughness? Ruthlessness? I don’t know. Maybe it was a bit of that.”

Having come within five points of the Premier League title last season, Arsenal will hope Mikel Arteta has managed to drill all those things into his side, as they look to overcome Manchester City for the title this term.