As Raheem Sterling weaved his way into space and shaped to shoot on the edge of the penalty box on Sunday, Anfield collectively held its breath. There was still more than half an hour to go and, had Manchester City pulled one back at that stage, the dynamic would have shifted.



Liverpool were exposed but Dejan Lovren came to the rescue. As he lay on the turf, he instinctively stuck out a boot and somehow turned Sterling’s strike over the bar. It was an inspired piece of last-ditch defending.



No wonder Lovren savoured every second of the celebrations after the final whistle as “Liverpool, top of the league” boomed around Anfield. He had waited a long time to be part of a day like this.



The 30-year-old has endured a lot of criticism during his six seasons on Merseyside and has been repeatedly written off. However, on each occasion he has dug deep and forced his way back into the manager’s plans. You have to admire his powers of...