By Leanne Prescott  Twitter – @_lfcleanne

January 2018.

Manchester City arrived at Anfield unbeaten in the Premier League.

A side without a single speck of dirt on their collar or any fleeting sign of weakness.

A side that left defeated, blitzed by a Red storm in which Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain lay in the eye.

The 26-year-old’s form over the course of the 2017/18 campaign was electric, singlehandedly tempering complaints levelled towards Liverpool’s midfield – a midfield labelled too safe, too pedestrian, bereft of a driving force or the creative genius Philippe Coutinho harboured.

Finally flourishing at the top of his game in his favoured position, having been shafted wherever the shoe fit for so long, Ox’s ligament injury against AS Roma in the 5-2 Champions League win came as a bitter blow.

Ruled out of the rest of a European run he had been so integral to, the image of the midfielder alone, on crutches, crying into his palms in the wake of defeat at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex marked the devastation of a man who was seldom able to affect the fate of his teammates. There was a World Cup in there, too.

His return was anguished over with baited breath, with Klopp waiting for his recovery “like a good wife when a man is in prison.”

18 months on, Chamberlain has come of age all over again, threatening to make a return to his previous levels, delivering another edge to Klopp’s attacking blueprint.

He commands a widespread skill-set, blessed with the dynamism to burst past his opponent, the natural dribbling ability to beat a man and the vision to pick a pass.

What’s more, the No.15 has an instinctive ruthlessness in front of goal, scoring five in his last six appearances in all competitions for club and country, all of which have demonstrated the full scope of his repertoire.

Indeed, with each strike he has flexed a different string to his finishing-bow.

There’s the 25-yard strike into the bottom corner away at Genk.

The sumptuous first-time, outside of the boot curler, too.

The long-range rocket on the half-volley against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

The back-to-goal, quick turn, instinctive left-footed drive in the return fixture against Genk at Anfield.

The one touch to control, another to finish into the far corner in England’s win over Montenegro.

All emphatic, all assured, all the mark of a man who has confidence flowing through his veins.

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Perhaps most importantly for the Reds though, is Chamberlain’s innate desire to shoot from outside the box – a secret weapon he’s used to deliver continuous statements of intent since his return.

While the club have undergone a surge in midfield goal-scorers of late, with the 1-2 away win at Villa Park the only game in the last eight in all competitions that failed to produce a goal from the midfield, just five have been scored from outside the penalty area since Liverpool’s 3-0 win over City in last year’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg.

Three of those belong to Chamberlain, with Wijnaldum’s fortuitous effort at Sheffield United and Fabinho’s pile-driver at the weekend the only exceptions.

Aside from his marked impact in the final third, a return to form has also highlighted the deeper emblems within his game, specifically direct and expansive movement that creates space aplenty for those ahead of him.

Akin to Firmino’s role in which the Brazilian drops deep to pick up possession before palming it off and receiving it back on the turn, thereby gifting both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane pockets of space behind the lines.

Impactful substitute appearances against United and City epitomise the influence Chamberlain exerts on the field, driving at the belly of the beast with the tools and intelligence to engineer the most crippling blow.

18 months on from his harrowing injury, Chamberlain is looking more and more like his old self – a man bursting with confidence and self-assurance ready to reaffirm his status at the heart of Klopp’s forceful machine.

A game changer; the difference maker.

By Leanne Prescott Twitter – @_lfcleanne