Daniel Sturridge lights up Liverpool, says Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool 2 West Ham 0: Oh how the Kop have missed him.

Daniel Sturridge’s comeback for Liverpool against West Ham United yielded a superbly executed goal, but also something far more significant to the team.

It heralded the return to Anfield of a ruthlessness and self-assurance which so personified Liverpool’s title charge last season.

The striker only had to tie up his boot laces here and the ground was engulfed by a sense of anticipation.

And when he finally entered the fray Liverpool supporters could sense the echoes and memories of the campaign just past, when they brushed teams aside for fun.

Kopites again watched their side play with the same vim and vigour, albeit against a West Ham team depleted and now sliding down the table.

Sturridge somehow seems to give those red shirts that extra bit of menace.

Although he has missed five months of the campaign with a combination of thigh and calf problems, Sturridge’s goal on Saturday took him level with Rickie Lambert as the club’s joint top-scoring striker.

That, perhaps, is a damning indictment of what Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Lambert have achieved in Sturridge’s absence. Or more pertinently, what they haven’t.

Indeed Balotelli was left out of Brendan Rodgers’ 18-man matchday squad yet again.

And despite being a yard short of his best the Sturridge was, in his cameo following his 68th minute introduction, still a good distance ahead of those who have deputised for him in a red shirt since his last appearance at the end of August.

Rodgers is correctly urging a softly, softly approach with Sturridge realising the striker is integral to their hopes of sustaining their challenge for the top four and securing Champions League football.

Steven Gerrard, rested for this clash with a tight hamstring, will be recalled to Liverpool’s starting line-up for their FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bolton Wanderers this week, but Sturridge will have to show a little more patience.

“Daniel’s still a bit of time off starting,” Rodgers explained. “You saw when he came on he was still getting used to the surroundings again in the time he had on the pitch.

“So it’s just about bedding him back in. It takes a bit of time and he’s been out for a long spell so we just want to make sure that he’s ready and fit to start.”

Despite Sturridge’s headline-grabbing goal this victory owed much to Raheem Sterling, who carried Liverpool’s attacking burden for two thirds of the contest.

The only flipside of Sturridge’s absence was that it has allowed Sterling’s game to mature and his decision-making to improve.

Those qualities were reflected in the first half as Sterling tormented West Ham was his runs, and in the build up to Liverpool’s opening goal six minutes after half-time.

Alberto Moreno’s cross from the left was deftly held up by Sterling on his chest and, rather than seize control of the ball, he left it for Philippe Coutinho.

Sterling then spun the West Ham defence to latch on to the Brazilian’s smart flick over and then calmly stroked it past goalkeeper Adrian.

Coutinho also provided the assist for Liverpool’s second with a defensive-splitting pass for Sturridge who fired a powerful low finish which beat Adrian at his near post.

“When you put Daniel on, you see the power that he has,” Rodgers added. “But he also has that ability to go either way which you saw with his goal. It came with a great touch on his weaker side and a wonderful finish.”

While the return of a striker was central for Rodgers, holding on to one of his remains key for West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, who denied the club are on the verge of swap deal which will see Enner Valencia join Chelsea.

“No, no-one has bid for any of our players,” Allardyce said when asked about Chelsea’s interest.

“Quite a few clubs have been trying to take some of our players, which is not acceptable in terms of where we are at the minute. And that has upset those players because they can probably go and play and get longer or bigger contracts elsewhere.

“But, with the position I am in at the minute, they will just have to grin and bear it.

“They are contracted to this club and we have looked after them well and they have to stay with us because we have the biggest injury crisis of the season at the moment.”

LIVERPOOL (3-4-2-1): Mignolet 7; Can 7, Skrtel 6, Sakho 7; Markovic 5 (Sturridge; 68; 8), Henderson 6, Lucas 6, Moreno 5; Lallana 6, Coutinho 7 (Ibe; 82; 6); Sterling 9 Subs not used: : Ward, Johnson, Lambert, Allen, Borini.

WEST HAM (4-1-3-2): Adrian 7; O’Brien 5, Collins 6 (Demel; 74; 6), Reid 6, Cresswell 7; Song 8; Amalfitano 5 (Noble; 55; 6), Nolan 7, Downing 5; Carroll 5 (Cole; 63; 6), Valencia 5 Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Oxford, Poyet, Jarvis.

Referee: A Marriner.