SHOOT’s EFL Cup Awards (Fourth Round): Player, Team and Goal of the Round

Player of the Round: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

Yet again, it’s a Liverpool player winning our Player of the Round award, as Daniel Sturridge follows Phillipe Coutinho’s lead from the last round.

In a youthful looking Liverpool side, that made 11 changes from the weekend, Sturridge led not just the line, but the way, as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds entered the draw for the quarter-finals.

He opened the scoring after nine minutes, when Marko Grujic’s deflected effort fell into the path of the instinctive England striker, who simply lifted it over Michel Vorm and into the net. He almost got his second just moments later, receiving the ball on the right wing after a good ball from 17-year-old debutant Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Sturridge cut inside onto his dangerous left foot, and from the edge of the box forced the Dutchman Vorm into a fine flying save.

Probably Sturridge’s biggest criticism, his poor weak-foot, came to show after Divock Origi’s fantastic pace, power and skill found his strike-partner Sturridge, who hit a tame effort on his right straight into Vorm’s arms.

Sturridge could have doubled his tally again on 54 minutes, but his right foot again let him down as he failed to even make contact this time after more good work from Origi.

Finally, and inevitably, his second did come. His fourth goal of the season, which have all come in the EFL Cup, arrived on 64 minutes when he was played through by Georginio Wijnaldum and made his one-on-one look simple by sliding it underneath Vorm, who couldn’t come to Spurs’ rescue on this occasion.

Liverpool were made to cling on in the end after Vincent Jansen halved the deficit from the spot, but the home side ran out winners thanks to super-Sturridge’s brace, who almost bagged a hat-trick in the end, but his inventive outside of the foot effort deflected onto the bar, and again he was thwarted by the ‘keeper, cutting inside onto his left his low effort was well-saved again.

All good Liverpool did went through Sturridge, who was a constant threat all night and definitely should have had plenty more than just the two.