Are Suarez and Sturridge the most lethal strike partnership in Europe?

They say strikers always hunt in pairs, the good ones at least. The Premier League has been fortunate enough to witness a few of them, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips, Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand to name a few.

Liverpool themselves, have had a long line of famed striker partnerships, Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore, Keegan and Toshack, Rush and Dalglish are just some of the most famous strike partnerships to have graced Anfield. And whilst it is definitely too early to count the chickens just yet, the warning signs all point to another prolific partnership which is slowly taking shape at Anfield.

Suarez and Sturridge, if they keep up their current form, might well stand a chance of emulating the legends before them. In just two games they have played together this season, the duo have managed to score five goals and already have two assists to their name. Not just that, they have also quickly earned a lot of praise from their manager, who proclaimed “I am not sure there are two better in the league.”

The duo have also quickly earned themselves a nickname in the process as well, “SAS”. The original “SAS” of Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer, took the league by storm and scored a combined total of 49 goals in the 1994/95 season, which saw Blackburn Rovers claim the Premier League title, for the first and only time.

At this rate, it looks like it will only be a matter of time, before Suarez and Sturridge catch up on the original “SAS”. Liverpool will be hoping that just like two decades ago, the duo, can also bring home the league title that the Liverpool fans have been craving for, ever since the dawn of the Premier League. Whilst the league title is definitely a step too far at the moment, breaking into Europe, perhaps even the top four, is what Brendan Rodgers will be looking at.

After the game against Crystal Palace, Rodgers was full of praise for the duo. He said “the two upfront were exceptional. Their combination play was outstanding and they are right up there with the best in this league.” He also went onto say that they have almost built up a telepathic understanding right away and with those two up front, “anything is possible.”

Even their team-mates have been eulogizing about them. In an interview with Sky Sports, central midfielder Jordan Henderson said “They are fantastic. Their link-up play and one-twos was brilliant and they do that all the time in training.” He added that “they haven’t played together that much” and when do so, “they can get even better.”

The stats don’t lie. In 2013, both Sturridge and Suarez are in the top four strikers in the League. Daniel Sturridge has scored 15 goals in 20 games and is in second place, whilst with 12 goals in 15 games, Suarez is in fourth place. And that is precisely what makes this partnership so unique and different from others. Both of them have scored and both are equally adept at creating chances for one another, something that no many partnerships from recent memory can boast of.

The fact that they are different strikers, but can still do the same things is what sets them apart. That and the fact that he harass the defenders all game, is certainly something that adds to the charm. Rodgers himself admitted that the success of the duo has been the fact that, “They are both movers, not static strikers.” He added “They are two different types, which makes it hard for defenders because one has pace, power and two good feet, and the other is a wriggler and can shift his body very quickly and ends up in the box. The dynamics of them are very good.”

That coupled with the fact that they can occupy a back four on their own, certainly means that they are force to be reckoned with. And whilst Rodgers himself admits that “a lot of work” still has to be done in training, they still look very bright and have all the makings of another successful striker partnership in Liverpool.

Against, Crystal Palace, Suarez scored and was man of the match, while Sturridge claimed his eighth of the season. If they keep up their goal scoring record, “Sturrez” might yet join the long line of forwards who have moved the kop. And whether they become legends or not, they are definitely the most lethal strike partnership in Europe at the moment.