Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fires dramatic injury-time winner to rescue Celtic against Livingston at Parkhead

For long spells, this felt like one of those evenings at Parkhead where Celtic would quietly do the job and move on.

Bottom-of-the-table Livingston were in town, the gap at the top was tight, and the expectation was simple: three points, no drama.

But football rarely sticks to the script.

Instead, it took a stoppage-time moment of class from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain — a player barely through the door — to rescue Celtic’s title charge and send the place into absolute bedlam.

Saracchi Sparks What Should Have Been a Comfortable Win

Celtic had started brightly and deservedly edged ahead when Marcelo Saracchi grabbed his first goal for the club.

It was the kind of breakthrough that usually settles nerves and opens the floodgates.

The tempo was sharp. The movement was there.

Chances came and went. Too many, as it turned out.

Martin O’Neill’s side had opportunities to kill the game inside the opening 20 minutes.

They didn’t take them. And in a title race where every swing matters, wastefulness is dangerous.

Livingston Refuse to Fold

To their credit, Livingston never looked like a side rooted to the bottom.

They stayed organised, stayed compact and waited for their opportunity. It came from the spot.

Robbie Muirhead kept his nerve from 12 yards, cancelling out Saracchi’s opener and silencing the home support.

Suddenly, what had looked routine felt edgy.

Livingston began to believe. Celtic began to rush.

The anxiety in the stands was mirrored on the pitch.

Rangers’ earlier slip at Fir Park had handed Celtic a golden chance to close the gap — but only if they could see this through.

Enter Oxlade-Chamberlain

Then came the moment.

Introduced late on, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain produced a finish that reminded everyone why he once commanded midfields for Arsenal, Liverpool and England.

In the 92nd minute, with bodies everywhere and tension at boiling point, he found space and curled a beauty beyond the goalkeeper.

From the instant it left his boot, you sensed it.

Even O’Neill admitted later he felt it was in.

Pandemonium followed.

For a player who has spent recent seasons rebuilding his career — including a spell in Turkey after injury-hit years in England — it was a statement arrival in Glasgow.

O’Neill’s Delight Is Impossible to Hide

Martin O’Neill didn’t try to play it cool afterwards. He was glowing.

He spoke about Oxlade-Chamberlain’s pedigree, about the calmness he showed while everything around him felt frantic.

He highlighted not just the goal, but the impression he has already made in training — leadership, sharpness, professionalism.

At 32, Oxlade-Chamberlain arrives with miles on the clock but plenty left in the tank.

O’Neill clearly believes this could be a shrewd piece of business, especially as Celtic juggle domestic pressure and the physical demands of the run-in.

The manager also hinted that when fully match-fit, the former England international could offer even more — creativity, composure and big-game experience.

A Wake-Up Call in Victory

For all the late euphoria, there was honesty too.

O’Neill admitted the game should never have reached that point.

Celtic had enough chances to be out of sight early on.

Against stronger opposition, that kind of wastefulness can prove costly.

Livingston’s threat from set pieces and direct deliveries caused problems — something the manager acknowledged at half-time.

In tight title races, small lapses become defining moments.

Celtic got away with it this time. They won’t always.

The Bigger Picture in the Title Race

The win trimmed the gap to Rangers to just one point, with Celtic holding a game in hand.

In a season where momentum swings almost weekly, that’s massive.

Psychologically, it may matter just as much.

Snatching victory at the death sends a message — not just to rivals, but internally. It reinforces belief.

Championship-winning sides often talk about “finding a way.”

This felt like one of those nights.

And while Livingston leave empty-handed, they showed fight that suggests they won’t go down quietly in the relegation battle.

What’s Next?

Celtic now head into a crucial stretch of fixtures knowing the margin for error is razor-thin.

Squad rotation, fitness management and composure in front of goal will be vital.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fitness will be closely monitored.

If he can build rhythm quickly, he could become a decisive figure in the title run-in — especially in matches where tight spaces demand intelligence rather than chaos.

For Livingston, attention shifts back to survival.

Performances like this offer hope, but points are what matter most at this stage of the campaign.

Summary

Celtic looked set for a straightforward victory after Marcelo Saracchi opened the scoring, but missed chances allowed Livingston back into the game through Robbie Muirhead’s penalty.

Just as it seemed the visitors would claim an unlikely point, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck a superb injury-time winner to secure all three points.

The dramatic victory keeps Celtic firmly in the title race, cutting the gap to Rangers to a single point with a game in hand, while also marking a dream debut impact for their newest signing.