Daniel Sturridge scored in his first game for five months as Liverpool secured a 2-0 triumph over West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The 25-year-old wrapped up the victory following Raheem Sterling's second-half opener as West Ham's winless run at Anfield stretched to 42 top-flight games.

Below, Sports Mole rates every player that featured during the match.

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Goal

Simon Mignolet: The Belgian did not have too much to contend with during the match, and aside from a few clearances which could have been handled with more conviction, he seemed comfortable. (7/10)

Defence

Emre Can: The young German has shown his ability in recent games, but he looked nervy at times and struggled to cope with Carroll's physical strength in the first half. (6/10)

Martin Skrtel: He looked solid at the back, was confident during set pieces and made some decent clearances for the home side. The defender always looked in control when in possession. (8/10)

Mamadou Sakho: The Frenchman always looks to attack when Liverpool start from the back and that was no different today. He looked shaky in his first few games for the Reds, but is proving to be a vital member at the back. (8/10)

Midfield

Alberto Moreno: The Spaniard linked up well with Coutinho and Lallana, and carried out his defensive duties when needed, but we are yet to see him mirror that burst of energy which resulted in his first goal for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur in August. (7/10)

Jordan Henderson: The stand-in captain looked confident in the middle of the park and helped orchestrate attacking plays, but he failed to make an impact with his set pieces. (7/10)

Lucas Leiva: Has been a vital member of the team since returning to the XI in November, and, while the Brazilian did not put a foot wrong this afternoon, he seemed frustrated by the lack of movement in front of him. (7/10)

Lazar Markovic: The Serbian showed plenty of energy and determination to get on the ball, but he was wasteful in possession at times. He also fluffed a great opportunity to score in the final minute of the first half. (6/10)

Attack

Adam Lallana: He was relatively quiet this afternoon, but got himself in the right positions when called upon. The former Southampton man also helped to cover Can when needed. (6/10)

Philippe Coutinho: Almost every attacking play came through the Brazilian and he provided assists for Sterling and Sturridge. (9/10)

Raheem Sterling: The youngster's winter break seems to have done him the world of good. He terrorised West Ham's defence with his pace and managed to score his sixth league goal of the season. (8/10)

Substitutes

Daniel Sturridge: It was the perfect start for the striker on his return from injury, after five months on the sidelines. He scored less than 10 minutes after coming onto the pitch in the second half and linked up with his teammates well. (8/10)

Jordan Ibe: He entered the field of play with 10 minutes of normal time remaining and was almost instantly involved in a goalscoring opportunity. The former Derby County loanee shot at goal, but it was saved by Adrian and then missed by Sturridge on the rebound. (6/10)

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Goal

Adrian: A goalkeeper will say that you should never be beaten at your near post and Adrian was when Sturridge scored. However, aside from the goals conceded, the stopper was rarely at fault during the match. (6/10)

Defence

Joey O'Brien: He was up against Coutinho for most of the game and, while he tried to quieten the Brazilian, the Liverpool man had too much quality this afternoon. His lack of pace hampered him. (5/10)

James Collins: The defender could not keep up with Sterling and seemed to suffer an injury early in the first half. He continued playing on until he was substituted in the second half. (5/10)

Winston Reid: He made some decent blocks and played out from the back well, but could not calm Sterling. (6/10)

Aaron Cresswell: He was able to play into Enner Valencia numerous times, but he was unable to get forward much during the contest. (6/10)

Midfield

Kevin Nolan: It was a quiet afternoon for the midfielder, who is a lifelong Liverpool fan. He was unable to track Coutinho and seemed to get lost in the middle of the park. (5/10)

Alex Song: He played some nice through balls in the first half and was able to break up a number of Liverpool's attacks. However, his influence dwindled as the game went on. (6/10)

Morgan Amalfitano: He struggled to make an impact in this game and rarely troubled Liverpool's defence, which eventually contributed to his substitution early in the second half. (5/10)

Stewart Downing: The former Liverpool man looked most dangerous cutting inside, but he was unable to get involved as much as he would have liked. (6/10)

Attack

Enner Valencia: His pace caused Can some issues up front, but he was not given enough service to cause a real threat during the game. (6/10)

Andy Carroll: The striker's physical presence proved to be a nuisance for Liverpool's defence, but injury hampered his return to Anfield in the second half and he rarely looked like scoring. (5/10)

Substitutes

Mark Noble: He was brought onto the field 10 minutes into the second half, but struggled to cut out the runs of Liverpool's forward line. (5/10)

Carlton Cole: The forward replaced Carroll, but he did not offer much attacking threat and rarely looked like troubling Mignolet. (5/10)

Guy Demel: His task was to stop Sterling and Sturridge in the second half, but he was unable to keep them quiet in the closing stages of the game. (5/10)

Written by
Danielle Joynson