Robbie Savage has backed Liverpool to emphatically defeat Luton Town on Sunday and expects Mo Salah to have a field day at Kenilworth Road.
It’s a first Premier League clash between the two clubs and a first head-to-head since an FA Cup third round replay almost 16 years ago, which the Reds won 5-0 at Anfield and Steven Gerrard scored a hat-trick (BBC Sport).
The former Wales international was giving his predictions for this weekend’s top-flight fixtures to Football365, and he reckons that Jurgen Klopp’s side – and one man in particular – will have too much for the Hatters.
Savage said: “Liverpool play Luton for the first time since 2008. There was a hat-trick in that game from Steven Gerrard. Will there be a hat-trick in this game? Mo Salah possibly. I think Liverpool will go to Luton and win.
“When the fixtures come out this is a game that Rob Edwards would have thought that any point will be a bonus. I think it’ll be tough, and they’ll make a little bit of a game of it, but I think Liverpool will dominate in the end. I’m going to go for a Liverpool 4-0 win and a hat-trick for Mo Salah.”
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With 10 goals already this season, and five in his last three Premier League games (Transfermarkt), the smart money is definitely on Salah to add to that tally tomorrow.
However, the Egyptian has tended to distribute his goal contributions across a lengthy series of matches rather than scoring heavily in short bursts – of the five hat-tricks he scored since coming to the Reds in 2017, the most recent was against Rangers at Ibrox 13 months ago (Transfermarkt).
As impressive as Liverpool have been this term, 4-0 is an optimistic prediction – Luton have shipped a respectable six goals in four home matches so far in the top flight, keeping high-flying Tottenham to just one goal in their last outing at Kenilworth Road.
The visitors should have enough quality overall to head back to Merseyside with three more points on the board, but victory will have to be earned against Edwards’ side, for whom the pressure is almost totally off tomorrow.