In hindsight, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott should have both left Arsenal and Arsene Wenger years ago.
The Frenchman signed both when they were rated as two of the best teenagers in world football, but under his guidance, neither reached his potential.
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Ox is developing beautifully under Jurgen Klopp and is heading into the Merseyside Derby on the back of a wonderful goalscoring performance in the Champions League quarterfinal with Manchester City.
Walcott hasn’t hit Ox’s heights, but in fairness, he’s an attacker playing under Sam Allardyce – a fairly gruesome task.
Both have subtly suggested that the fans of both Liverpool and Everton are better than the ones they played in front of at the Emirates.
The pair got immense criticism from Arsenal supporters and although they’ve not said explicitly, the fact they’ve openly lauded the difference their new respective fanbases speaks volumes.
“It’s an amazing place to play, it was stable, you build relationships, but I felt I had to do it for football reasons to try and better myself,” Oxlade-Chamberlain told Sky Sports.
“But I’ve loved every minute so far. It was always horrible coming here (Anfield) as an opposition player but the crowd gives you goosebumps. To hear them singing for you is unbelievable.”
Walcott agrees:
“The first time walking about at Goodison Park… you can’t explain it. Then, when I scored my first goal, the emotion came out. It was about enjoying my football again,” he said.
Everton’s 29-year-old will likely play at Goodison today, but there’s no guarantee Ox will, with Klopp potentially giving the 24-year-old a rest before the much more important Champions League clash on Tuesday.