Any player who had scored a goal as remarkable as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's last night might well have felt entitled to tear off their shirt and go on a celebratory lap against Anfield.
With Liverpool trailing 4-2 in their Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Arsenal and on the brink of elimination from the contest Oxlade-Chamberlain nicked the ball off the toes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles before smashing a thunderous volley at goal from 25 yards out, the ball rifling into the right-hand corner to leave Emiliano Martinez without a hope.
His team-mates mobbed him, celebrating a goal that would inspire an unlikely 5-5 draw and penalty shootout win at Anfield, but against his former side, a club in crisis on and off the pitch, Oxlade-Chamberlain managed to contain himself to a brief grin and a hands-up gesture in the direction of supporters.
"They're not tap-ins at the moment, let's put it that way," he said. "It was a really nice moment against my former side to score. Obviously it was a pretty good goal so it was a bit hard to keep the celebration in.
"That was something I always knew that I'd do. I have full respect for a former club and their fans. I always want to show a lot of respect to Arsenal for what they did for me and the times I had there.
"I didn't want to celebrate but it was a tough one to not take the shirt off and go mad. Those ones don't always go in. It was nice to get another one of them. I've been given the licence to shoot from outside the box and the last few games they've gone in for me.
"Hopefully it continues in that way but they won't all fly in like that, put it that way."
For their part Arsenal supporters were in no mood for building bridges with Oxlade-Chamberlain, who left the Gunners for Liverpool in the summer of 2017 days after an indifferent performance in a heavy defeat at Anfield, booing many of his touches and cheering with delight when he misplaced a pass or lost possession.
