Reds are now truly believing

Liverpool 2 Sunderland 1

And gritty victories when they are not at their best, to accompany recent goal-gluts, will convince the few remaining doubters about Liverpool’s belief they can secure the title.

They were not at their fluent best here, frustrated in parts by an organised Sunderland side, but they still got three more priceless points.

Three more points closer to those key home fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea which will probably make-or-break it for Liverpool.

Make no bones about it, this was a nervous tense victory — their seventh consecutive win.

“It was nervy towards the end but we’re still learning and it’s a great win for us,” said skipper Steven Gerrard.

The free-flowing football of recent weeks was replaced, somewhat, by the tension of what Liverpool can potentially achieve — a first league title since 1990.

Perhaps a bit of fatigue has set into the legs of some players who have given everything for manager Brendan Rodgers since the beginning of the campaign.

Liverpool’s relative squad strength compared to City and Chelsea, after all, appeared to suggest they would not even be in contention at this stage.

A quick glance at the home side’s bench for this game epitomises that with, apart from Raheem Sterling, little to frighten opposition defences.

Yet here, with seven games of the season left, they are. A point behind Chelsea and ready to fight to the end, with hope in their hearts.

The Kop are renowned for their patience — 24 years is a long time to wait for a league title, after all — and the home support had to show that in a first half that became tense.

Liverpool fans have been used to seeing their side blow teams away in the opening 45 minutes with breathless attacking football. But with three centre-backs in a 5-3-2 system, the visitors’ intentions were clear, as they packed midfield which restricted Liverpool to efforts from distance.

“Credit to Sunderland, they came to shut up shop and made it difficult,” said Gerrard.

Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole was particularly impressive as he snapped at the heels of anything in a red shirt that moved in front of the Black Cats’ defence.

Luis Suarez, having equalled Robbie Fowler’s Premier League record of 28 goal in a season against Cardiff, looked a likely source for the breakthrough.

And, having threatened with a shot after jinking run moments earlier, he won the free-kick which led to Liverpool’s opening goal.

The Uruguay striker was scythed down by Santiago Vergini after he spun visitors defence and headed towards to goal with the Sunderland centre-back fortunate to escape with just a yellow card.

Gerrard stepped up and fiercely curled the ball into the top-right corner past the despairing Mannone.

A tense Anfield felt the release of pressure and so did those in red shirts who finished the half with the kind of swagger which had helped them win the last six games on the bounce.

They were given a brief scare just before half-time when a deflected Connor Wickham shot forced Simon Mignolet to scramble across goal and push the ball past the post.

But the momentum was all Liverpool’s and they doubled their lead three minutes into the second half with a goal from Daniel Sturridge who curled home — via a deflection off Wes Brown — from the corner of the penalty area.

The records seem to be tumbling by the week with the goalscoring feats of Suarez and Sturridge, and this contest was no different. Sturridge’s 20th of the season meant that two Liverpool strikers scored more than 20 goals in a season for the first time since Ian St John and Roger Hunt in 1964.

Sunderland, fighting for their lives at the bottom of the league, showed plenty of fight and refused to lie down. Cattermole rattled the crossbar with a swerving shot in the 70th minute.

Moments later, Sturridge did the same for the hosts but it was Sunderland who pulled a goal back, to leave Anfield sweating with the cushion reduced to one goal.

Adam Johnson’s corner was allowed to bounce inside the box and fellow substitute Ki Sung-Yeung bundled the ball home with a stooping header.

The nervous tension that had Liverpool on edge in the opening half-hour returned, and the ground held its breath when Sunderland captain John O’Shea got on the end of a corner and flicked the ball wide.

The relief at the full-time whistle was palpable before the chants of “we’re going to win the league”. For now, Anfield still believes.

LIVERPOOL (4-1-3-2): Mignolet 7; Johnson 5, Skrtel 7, Agger 6, Flanagan 7; Gerrard 7; Henderson 6, Allen 6, Coutinho 7; Suarez 8, Sturridge 8 (Sterling 6; 77).

SUNDERLAND (5-3-2): Mannone 7; Bardsley 6, Brown 5, O’Shea 7, Vergini 5, Dossena 6 (Colback 6; 83); Cattermole 8, Bridcutt 7, Giaccherini 5 (Johnson 7; 61) Altidore 5, Wickham 6 (Ki 7; 61).