Liverpool will be looking to increase their lead at the top of the table when they host Luton Town. The Reds, who were atop the table, crushed Brentford 4-1 at noon on Saturday. It was just one day before Manchester United defeated the Hatters 2-1 at Kenilworth Road.
Preview (Liverpool vs. Luton Town)
When it came to the Premier League, Liverpool’s third time was lucky in the second half at the Gtech Community Stadium, as they triumphed over Brentford despite suffering three injuries in the first half of their early kickoff. The Uruguayan was among three players who did not return for the second half. Darwin Nunez’s brilliant chip gave Liverpool the lead. However, three more goals came from the feet of Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo. It negates the significance of Ivan Toney’s finish.
The typical Klopp fist pumps were in full swing before attention shifted to the injured visitors. It didn’t take long for the Merseyside supporters to start celebrating once more. Manchester City’s defeat at the hands of Chelsea, the Reds now hold the power to win the top flight. No matter what happens in Tuesday’s match between the champions and Brentford, Liverpool will still be on top. The Reds haven’t lost at home in a Premier League match since Leeds United’s stunning victory in October 2022. They are currently two points ahead of Arsenal and four ahead of City after playing the same number of games.
Liverpool is still undefeated in all competitions held at their home ground in the 2023–24 season. They have also scored two goals or more in each of their last five victories there. However, they have yet to keep a clean sheet at Anfield in 2024. They have given up goals in seven consecutive games on their home field. Although Liverpool has occasionally struggled defensively despite their overwhelming victories. Luton was left to regret an early mistake in their match against Man United on Sunday. The Reds’ main man, Rasmus Hojlund, took advantage of Amari’i Bell’s poorly executed backpass to score the game’s sixth goal in a row.
Team News
During the first half of Saturday’s match against Brentford, the Liverpool medical staff more than proved their worth. Nunez was also sidelined at halftime owing to pain, while Curtis Jones (shin) and Diogo Jota (knee) were also taken off the pitch before the half. Nunez and Jones haven’t been formally ruled out of Wednesday’s match yet. Klopp has acknowledged that Jota’s knee issue seems serious. It means Salah will probably start for Liverpool for the first time since New Year’s Day.
Ahead of this weekend’s EFL Cup final, Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Joel Matip (knee), Ben Doak (knee), Thiago Alcantara (muscle), Dominik Szoboszlai (thigh), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) are also out. Alisson Becker injured his hamstring during Liverpool’s final pre-Brentford training session, meaning Caoimhin Kelleher will make his third straight Premier League start this weekend. Edwards may sympathize with Klopp regarding the need for offensive substitutions, as Luton’s leading scorer Elijah Adebayo sustained a hamstring injury during Sunday’s warm-up. The Hatters manager was also unaware of the seriousness of the striker’s issue during the match.
Adebayo is welcomed to the injured list by captain Tom Lockyer, who has acknowledged that he is not sure whether he will ever play competitively again after his second painful collapse. Mads Andersen (calf) and Marvellous Nakamba (knee) are also out. Edwards should be working with the same group of players from Sunday’s loss, in which Cauley Woodrow replaced Adebayo up top.
Liverpool 2-0 Luton Town
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