Prediction: Luton Town vs Liverpool

Verdict: Mohamed Salah to score

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: Betfair

Luton Town will be looking to pull off a major upset when they welcome Liverpool to Kenilworth Road on Sunday for a game within round 11 of the ongoing Premier League campaign.

The two teams sit close to the opposite ends of the league table, as Luton top the relegation zone in 18th, ahead of just fellow league newcomers Burnley and Sheffield United, while Liverpool occupy fourth place, behind Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and defending champions Manchester City.

Luton Town

Luton have gone down a road of great achievement by earning Premier League promotion for this season, but they obviously face a different prospect in the English top flight, compared to the second tier. With just one win from the previous 10 games – a relatively surprising triumph over Everton at Goodison Park – and seven defeats, they will be hard put to it indeed to survive in this company.

Their last game, away to Aston Villa, saw Rob Edwards’ team concede three goals, as John McGinn and Moussa Diaby got on the scoresheet for the hosts, and Luton defender Tom Lockyer putting the ball in his own net to make things worse. Their only goal of the game was also an own-goal, courtesy of Villa’s World Cup winner, Emiliano Martinez.

Luton manged to keep the ball under their control for no more than 29% of the time at Villa Park, and they will not be confident about doing any better against the six-time European champions on Sunday.

Team News

Luton’s injury list is certainly longer than Edwards would’ve hoped for at this point in the campaign, with Mads Andersen, Dan Potts, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reece Burke and Jordan Clark all unavailable through various issues. On the other hand, Amari’i Bell should be available, having recovered from a thigh problem.

Carlton Morris led the attacking line against Villa, but he could make way for Elijah Adebayo this time.

Liverpool

Liverpool have so far lost just once in all competitions – a heavily controversial defeat to Spurs in North London which saw two of their players sent off and a Luis Diaz goal wrongfully disallowed. All in all, they have the exact opposite record to that of Luton, with seven victories and two draws in the league. In addition to Spurs, only Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Brighton at the Amex managed to remain undefeated against them.

The Merseysiders obviously have very different aims for the season, seeking to return to the Champions League after just one year of absence as they finished fifth the last time around. Meanwhile, they’re doing extremely well in the Europa League, having beaten all three teams in their group – LASK, Union SG and Toulouse.

Liverpool’s earlier triumphs this season were mostly achieved through turning the results around after conceding first, but lately they’ve controlled things on the pitch from the start. Following a relatively comfortable home win against Nottingham Forest last week, they beat Bournemouth at the Vitality by 1-2 on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, with Cody Gakpo breaking the deadlock, Justin Kluivert equalizing for the Cherries, and Darwin Nunez bagging a superb winner for the Reds. The Uruguayan striker has now scored in each of the last three games played in all competitions.

Team News

With his father still in the hands of his kidnappers, Luis Diaz missed the last two games, but manager Jurgen Klopp says the winger is back in training and the decision on his involvement at Kenilworth Road is his to make. as he and the rest of his family await news from the Colombian government.

Midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic are out through different injuries, and the same goes for left-back Andy Robertson.

Robertson’s absence means Kostas Tsimikas is set to continue on the left defensive flank. Having been rested against Bournemouth, Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister, Diogo Jota, and possibly Ibrahima Konate, should return to the starting XI. Gakpo started at the Vitality and Nunez came on as a substitute, and as both of them scored on the night, Klopp will have a decision to make as to who leads his attacking line from the centre-forward position.

Conclusion

In all honesty, Luton haven’t shown much since coming into the Premier League fold, and Liverpool will likely prove too good for their liking. Any outcome except a victory for the visitors would surely be a big surprise.

Despite the form of Gakpo, Jota and Nunez, the main threat for the home side’s goal will likely be Mohamed Salah, who scored five goals in the last three league games.

Verdict: Mohamed Salah to score

Best odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: Betfair