Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has insisted that Liverpool were deserving of their 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Sturridge, who scored the only goal in the contest to continue his excellent form, said that he and his teammates played out manager Brendan Rodgers's tactics perfectly.

"I think we deserved the win, they put us under some pressure in the second half but we deserved it," BBC Sport quotes Sturridge as saying.

"The manager's philosophy is that we play well as a team and that's what we did. It's nice to score, but it's more important we win.

"I am just playing my normal game - I have matured a little bit in terms of confidence and playing regularly. This is how I have been as a kid, but I've now been given a chance to show what I can do in a first-team environment."

The result lifted Liverpool into second in the league table.