‘Class’ Oxlade-Chamberlain Marks Celtic Debut with Late Winner

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill hailed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a “class” player after the former England international scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner on his debut to secure a 2-1 William Hill Premiership victory over Livingston.

The 30-year-old, who recently signed a short-term contract until the summer, was introduced from the bench in the second half and made an immediate impression at Celtic Park.

With the contest seemingly destined for a draw, Oxlade-Chamberlain curled home a superb effort in added time to clinch all three points for the hosts. His decisive strike came after Marcelo Saracchi’s first-half opener had been cancelled out by a Robbie Muirhead penalty for Livingston.

O’Neill Delighted with Immediate Impact

O’Neill admitted he did not anticipate such a decisive contribution so soon but believes Oxlade-Chamberlain’s experience and composure could prove crucial in the title run-in.

“He’s been a class player, there’s no question about it,” the Celtic manager said.

“He’s played for big teams and performed brilliantly, so I’m really delighted to have him and to get him onto the pitch.

“He turned the game for us, which is brilliant. It was a great strike and I was right behind it when I saw it. The minute it left his foot, I thought, ‘This is in.’

“I think he can give us something, no question about that. He’s a really decent player and he’ll get up to speed with things. He’s only been here a couple of days and I couldn’t be more pleased with him.

“He’s made a big impact, even in training with the rest of the players, which is always a good sign. I’m just delighted he’s in and I think when he’s fully fit, he’ll be great for us.”

Livingston Show Fight Despite Defeat

Livingston manager Marvin Bartley praised his side’s performance despite the late setback, with his team remaining bottom of the table.

“First and foremost, I have to give my players a lot of credit for how they played,” Bartley said.

“We had to come up with a game plan that required a lot of energy, and I thought they carried it out well.

“Ultimately, we were beaten at the end by a really good goal from a player who has performed at the top level.

“I’ve been here too many times to think you’ve got them until the final whistle. You see the number of late goals Celtic score — you’re never out of the woods completely.

“The belief will never go away as long as we can stay up. If they match that level of effort, we’ll be fine. We need to get to the split and I’d back my team against any other side.”

Celtic’s victory keeps them firmly in the Premiership title race, while Livingston face an uphill battle to avoid relegation.