Sturridge: I had a point to prove

Daniel Sturridge has revealed that anger was the emotion which inspired his remarkable impact as a substitute against his former club, Chelsea, on Sunday.



The 23-year-old left Stamford Bridge to join Liverpool in January following a frustrating period out of the Blues' starting XI.



Sturridge resembled a force of nature after being introduced for Philippe Coutinho, smashing a powerful long drive against a post before finding the net within seven minutes of entering the action.



"I was disappointed not to start because the manager would have known I was a bit angry with Chelsea and wanted to prove a point against them," the striker said.



"It was strange playing against them because I only left three months ago so I kind of knew their weaknesses and what their team was all about.



"I was itching to get on and the team performed well in the second half. We started attacking a lot more; in the first half we were a little bit defensive.



"The game opened up and we showed what we're all about - it was good."



The strike against Chelsea was Sturridge's sixth in 12 appearances for Liverpool and the England international is determined to maintain his scoring focus.



He added: "I'm happy but it's my job. I'll be happy today but tomorrow is a new day.



"I just look forward to the next one now, it's onwards and upwards from here and I hope to continue to help the team get some results."


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Sturridge expected to return this week

Daniel Sturridge is expected to be fit for Liverpool FC’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

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The England striker has been nursing a thigh complaint in recent weeks, and missed the Reds’ 4-0 win at Wigan Athletic on Saturday as a result.



But he will return to full training today and should be in the squad as high-flying Spurs visit Anfield on Sunday.



The 23-year-old’s return should provide Brendan Rodgers with another boost as his side look to close the gap on the Premier League’s top four. The Reds currently sit seventh, 10 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, and 12 adrift of Tottenham.



With Sturridge available for selection, Rodgers is left with something of a selection headache in attack. Both Philippe Coutinho and Stewart Downing impressed in supporting roles at Wigan, whilst Luis Suarez’s scintillating form makes him undroppable.



Sturridge has himself been in fine form since his January switch from Chelsea, scoring five goals in seven appearances for his new club. He has found the net in both of his Anfield outings so far.



Rodgers does have the option of restructuring his attack to accommodate the former Manchester City man, using Sturridge and Suarez as a front pairing, with Coutinho and Downing as more orthodox wide players.



That would mean sacrificing midfielder Joe Allen from the side which won at Wigan, but produces an attacking system which is perhaps more suited to playing at home. Sturridge and Suarez, as a duo, have scored seven times in six appearances together.



Defender Martin Skrtel, meanwhile, remains on the injured list for the Reds.



The Slovakian, 28, has not featured in the Premier League since the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on January 13, and is currently sidelined with a knee problem.



Having yet to return to full training, Skrtel is not expected to feature at all against Tottenham, with Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger continuing at the heart of defence, and Andre Wisdom and Sebastian Coates in reserve.