The Liverpool striker was left in tears on the Emirates Stadium turf after the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, perhaps thinking of what could have been after missing several opportunities in the crucial fifth-round tie.
Kieran Gibbs and Lukasz Fabianski were trying to console the in-form forward, but they seemed to be doing little good
Earlier in the game, Sturridge rushed over to Arsenal’s goalkeeper to tie his shoelaces, looking to hurry up the Pole in his quest to secure a replay.
There was nothing doing for the England man, though. Arsenal will play Everton in the next round after goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski put them in the driving seat, before Steven Gerrard struck home a penalty for the visitors.
Liverpool felt they should have had another spot-kick when Luis Suarez was felled by Oxlade-Chamberlain, but referee Howard Webb waved away the claims.
Brendan Rodgers’ side perhaps should have had the game dead and buried early on – flying out of the traps – taking the game to Arsenal after beating them 5-1 last weekend at Anfield.
But Sturridge spurned the best of their chances, and manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed his disappointment in the result itself and the finishing.
‘The best team lost. It should have been 2-0 in the first 6-7 mins,’ he told BT Sport after the game.
Written by Steve Milne @stevenmilnelive
