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It used to be his home, the place where he could showcase his precocious talents.

Now, Raheem Sterling could be forgiven for hoping he never has to set foot inside Anfield again.

He will on Wednesday, for his fourth visit as a Manchester City player.

His third ended as the previous two had; in defeat, disappointment and with the jeers of the Kop ringing in his ears.

Sterling had arrived into January's game as one of the Premier League's star performers, his 14 goals helping propel Pep Guardiola's side to the summit. If there were doubts about the fee City paid Liverpool in 2015, they were gone now. At 23, he's establishing himself as an elite talent.

At Anfield, though, he met his match.

There was the crowd, who booed and whistled his every touch, and there were the men in Red, psyched up each and every one of them. None more so than Andy Robertson, whose performance nullified the City star's threat. Sterling lasted 70 minutes, by which time his substitution felt like an act of mercy.

That was the second time in three seasons he had failed to last the 90 minutes. In each of his three appearances for City at Anfield, he's been beaten. In each of the three, he's failed to get the better of a different full back.

Remember Jon Flanagan hounding him out of the game in March 2016? Remember James Milner's solidity and nous in that New Year's Eve triumph? We can add Robertson to the list. The Scot, overworked early on, was outstanding.

Sterling started OK. He might, with a lesser referee, have had a penalty early on when tumbling under Emre Can's challenge, and City certainly found space on their right flank during a frantic first half.

(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

His influence, though, faded fast. Only Fabian Delph, of City's starting XI, attempted fewer passes in the game – and Delph left the field injured after half an hour. His accuracy level, 70%, was the lowest of any player on the pitch bar Loris Karius. He's got 18 goals in all competitions this season, Sterling. He didn't attempt a single shot here. He did, however, pick up a booking for a foul on Gini Wijnaldum in front of the dugouts.

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Robertson's aggression and positional play won the day. The Liverpool man won more tackles than any player on the field, with his second-half one-man press of the City defence one of the game's standout moments.

Sterling, by that point, was sat with his coat on, wishing he was somewhere else. It's not the first time that's happened.

Anfield is anything but home for him these days.