Daniel Sturridge is dancing again

Liverpool 2 Tottenham 1: There was something telling in the manner in which Daniel Sturridge celebrated the first of the goals which helped Liverpool secure safe passage to the fifth round of the EFL Cup last night.

Sturridge clambered back to his feet in the goalmouth, grabbed the match ball and held it closely to his chest, and jogged in the direction of the bench. It felt less of a reminder of his goalscoring qualities, and more of statement of intent. Of defiance, even.

After an anonymous 60 minutes against Manchester United on his last start, which saw him substituted for the more dynamic Adam Lallana, the epitaph of his Liverpool career was seemingly already being written in some quarters.