Daniel Sturridge wonder goal against Bayern Munich in pre-season saw the striker quickly injure himself after. Some would say that this was peak Sturridge – there has never been any doubt that the England striker is a capable goalscorer. At the same time, there is little doubt that Sturridge is one of the most injury prone players out there.
Thankfully, the injury he suffered against Bayern appears to be a small one, so he should be back before the start of Liverpool’s Premier League season. This is a boost to Sturridge and to Liverpool and if the player can stay fit, then he may be able to fight for the Golden Boot.
That is a very big ‘if’ though, as Sturridge seems to be made purely out of glass metaphorically speaking.
Form
As we said, this is a footballer who knows where the net is. He scored 21 goals when Liverpool almost won the Premier League during the season when Steven Gerard had is infamous slip. He has reached double figures in the Premier League three times and always looks dangerous when put in-front of goal. He is a great goal scorer and last season he almost looked like a player who could stay fit.
This has been his problem in seasons prior to that. If he can stay fit, then he may be able to compete with the likes of Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.
News
However, fitness isn’t his only problem. There have been claims that Jurgen Klopp doesn’t fancy Sturridge and that he doesn’t fit into the German manager’s formula for winning. He certainly wasn’t among the managers favourites last season, yet he refuses to sell him. Clearly there is a space for Sturridge, but he needs to do more to fit into what Klopp is looking for.
The German’s system does create chances and he will also have more chances with Mo Salah playing alongside him. Don’t forget, there is also Phillipe Coutinho, Emre Can and Jordan Henderson – these are all players who know how to create chances.
It could be a good year for Daniel Sturridge if he can hit his stride. The English striker could finally fulfil his potential!
Betting
We genuinely give him a good chance for ousting competitors and becoming the Premier League’s top scorer this season. He is at the right age to hit is prime and could challenge Harry Kane. Sturridge is priced at 40/1 to win the Golden Boot and considering some of the players that are ranked above him, it could be a very interesting bet to go for.
Marcus Rashford, Manolo Gabbiadini and Alexandre Lacazette are all ranked above him, but we give him a much higher chance than that. He is a great player who is finally finding his way. He is finally finding a way to stay fit and if he can gain form and Jurgen Klopp decides to play him. They are two very big ‘ifs’, but he may be able to do so.
Also, 40/1 is an amazing price and it could look incredibly generous come the end of the season.