Liverpool has plenty to improve despite topping Premier League charts

They say every cloud has a silver lining, so when Luis Suarez sunk his teeth into the forearm ofBranislav Ivanovic many considered the opportunity presented to Daniel Sturridge to be just that. The former Chelsea man had scored five goals by the time the little Uruguayan had his suspension handed to him in April but had previously struggled to link up with his companion. Sturridge went onto score another five in the four games that Suarez was unavailable and plastered Anfield with hope that he would lead the line efficiently in the South American’s absence. And that he has.

After six goals in seven games, the England international sits top of the pile in terms of goals scored in the Premier League and shows no signs of stopping.

The Premier League’s top scorers

The 24-year-old’s hot streak of form sees Liverpool sitting second in the table, second only to Arsenal’s superior goal difference. But while Brendan Rodgers goes about perfecting his side, where does Sturridge need to improve his individual game in order to establish himself one of the top forwards in Europe?

Confidence has never been an issue for the frontman. In fact, he uses his self belief to his advantage, running at defenders and hauling them out of position. However, his poise can sometimes be his downfall. Throughout his career, Sturridge has been regarded as a selfish player. A player who plays with his head down, but because he is working an angle to have a strike at goal rather than looking for a team-mate to pass to.

Sturridge has had 20 shots at goal this season, by far the most in the side. You could argue that every top striker needs a selfish streak. However, with Suarez returning to the side, the combination play between the pair sparking into life, perhaps he can sometimes afford to release the ball to take up a stronger position. It might even drag his 77% pass completion up to a more impressive number. He currently holds a one in four strike rate from his shots outside the box, and his take on success stands at 47%, which suggests that a bit of patience has the potential of going a long way.

A weakness of Sturridge has always been his ability in the air. Float a ball to his head, unmarked, and he is capable of attacking it. But going up against an opponent in an aerial duel Sturridge has struggled – he is yet to win a single header in the 13 he has gone up for.

It’s difficult trying to pick holes in one of the most impressive forwards in the Premier League right now, especially after his recent splurt of goals, but every player has room to improve. Sturridge has found the consistency, the positioning and the combination between his team-mates to be regarded as one of the finest forwards in the country, and at 24 there is no reason as to why he can’t progress into one of the best in Europe.