Daniel Sturridge Concentrating on Liverpool Title Bid

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is keen to overlook entering the Anfield record books despite he and Luis Suarez becoming the first Reds forward partnership to both reach 20 league goals in a season for half a century.

Sturridge struck the second as Brendan Rodgers' side went within a point of leaders Chelsea at the Premier League summit with a 2-1 win over Sunderland to match the achievements of Roger Hunt and Ian St John in the 1963/64 campaign.

But on a night where Liverpool gave another indication as to their threat in the title race with victory over the Black Cats, Sturridge was keen to focus on the pursuit of the club's first championship for 24 years rather than his personal milestone.

"It's special but the success of the team is more important to me," Sturridge told the Liverpool Echo.

"It's not about myself. I'm just giving God the glory for all that's happening in my life and I'm thankful to God for giving me this opportunity.

"It was great to get the three points - that's the most important thing at this stage of the season.

"We just need to continue working hard as a team and keep getting the job done. We're all trying our best to do our jobs for the team."

While Sturridge reached the 20-goal mark on Wednesday, Suarez is chasing the Premier League 38-game season record held jointly by Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Uruguayan having scored 28 times this term despite missing the start of the campaign through suspension.

Suarez and Sturridge are also chasing Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole's record as a partnership when the pair netted 55 goals in the 1993/94 season but manager Rodgers is keen to focus on their abilities individually.

"I'm not really worried [about the record]," Rodgers told Sky Sports.

"I'm more worried about a great Liverpool team. The two boys are special talents in their own right. They are both prolific.

"They are not a pair, for me. They are individual players that play up in a system that works very well. They're soloists, they can combine, they do look for each other but they are more individual talents who play up there.

"The most important thing for me is the team. As long as both of them contribute to the team, both with and without the ball, then hopefully they can both go on to become greats."