Daniel Sturridge Returns to Give Liverpool a Cutting Edge in West Ham Win

ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL — Daniel Sturridge made his first appearance for Liverpool in five months to add a clinical edge to the Reds' play, as they saw off West Ham United 2-0 at Anfield.

Sturridge scored the second goal 12 minutes after his second-half introduction, coolly finishing past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian at his near post. Such composure has been lacking at Anfield in recent months.

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After looking devoid of a cutting edge in the first half of this game, Liverpool broke through shortly after half-time when Raheem Sterling slotted past Adrian—just as they approached 300 minutes without a goal, having drawn a blank in 120 minutes against Chelsea in midweek and last time out against Bolton.

While Sterling and Sturridge applied the finishing touches, Philippe Coutinho was the chief creator, picking up the assist for both goals and at the fulcrum of Liverpool's attack throughout.

The magic Brazilian's ball through for Sterling's opening goal was itself deserving of the standing ovation he received as he left the pitch with 10 minutes remaining.

Forward options

Liverpool had three forwards on the bench at kick-off, with Mario Balotelli not in the squad. It's not been too long since Brendan Rodgers wasn't naming a striker among his subs—barely two months ago. The times have changed at Anfield.

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All of a sudden, Rodgers has attacking options, shown even more so with the introduction of teenager Jordon Ibe after Sturridge's goal.

Suddenly, with Sturridge back to add the cutting edge that has been so missing, Liverpool's attack looks sharp and intimidating for any opponent.

Carroll's return

Meanwhile, at the other end, Andy Carroll made his first return to Anfield since he left the club—coming four years to the day since Liverpool spent £35 million on him.

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Speaking before the match, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claimed, as per the Mirror, that he would pay "£60 million or £70 million for him now." Judging by Carroll's performance in this game, Sturridge would be worth about £150 million based on Allardyce's rather bullish claim.

The Liverpool defence, which is improving and gaining stature in each game, kept Carroll quiet. The unit benefits from the continued presence of Mamadou Sakho, who was impressive both in possession and aerially.

Indeed, Carroll's two biggest contributions were the flailing arms that left their impression on both Emre Can and Lazar Markovic in the first half.

Carroll had claimed pre-match that Rodgers had given him "mixed messages" before his departure from the club in 2012, according to a report by Rory Smith in The Times. The truth is, he never suited Liverpool's style under the Northern Irishman, and that was evident in this match.

Finish

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Liverpool fans will be celebrating Sturridge's return, enjoying the sight of his "wiggly arm" dance and optimistic about the future.

It's been a long time coming, but Liverpool finally have a clinical edge after huffing and puffing and often failing to knock the house down in recent games.

The win moves the Reds up to seventh as they continue to chip away in the pursuit of fourth place. With Sturridge back, that could be a challenging task.