Liverpool host Luton Town at Anfield on February 21 in a huge meeting that could have ramifications on both the Premier League title race and the relegation battle. The Reds come into the game as league leaders and will be looking to extend that advantage while The Hatters will be hoping to remove themselves from the bottom three. Here, Last Word on Football looks at the best odds and predicts the outcome of Liverpool vs Luton.
Liverpool Host Luton at Anfield: Predictions and Best Odds
"In possession, they've found a structure where everybody feels comfortable" 🗣️
Jurgen Klopp on preparing for Luton's set-pieces ⚽ pic.twitter.com/UqMzllP7sZ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 20, 2024
Liverpool Current Run of Form
Liverpool come into the game on the back of two wins against bottom-half sides Burnley and Brentford. The Reds have quickly returned to their January form after starting February with a 3-1 defeat to title rivals Arsenal, the only stain on an impressive start to 2024.
Klopp’s side have been completely decimated with injuries but have somehow managed to cope and even thrive at times. The 3-1 win over Burnley saw them without Dominik Szoboszlai going into the match whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be removed at half time. Alisson joined the pair on the treatment table before the 4-1 win over Brentford which also saw Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, and Darwin Nunez leave the game prematurely.
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It’s a testament to the strength-in-depth Klopp has at his disposal that Cody Gakpo was able to enter the game and provide both an assist and a goal whilst the game also marked the return of Mohamed Salah, who hadn’t played for Liverpool since New Year’s Day, and he also registered both an assist and a goal.
The win over Brentford was the fifth time since the turn of the year that the Reds have scored at least four goals in a game.
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Luton Current Run of Form
Many had Luton down as dead certainties for an immediate return to the Championship this year but they are making a much better fist of it than their fellow promoted sides, Sheffield United and Burnley.
The Hatters currently sit 18th, seven points clear of the two teams they came up with, and level on points with 17th place Everton.
Rob Edwards’ men are currently three matches without a win but before the defeat to Sheffield United on February 10, they were on a six-game unbeaten run, their longest stretch of the campaign. They’ve not been shot shy either, scoring four in both the win over Brighton and the draw with Newcastle whilst they found the net in each of their two home defeats to Sheffield United and Manchester United.
Luton are missing top scorer Elijah Adebayo, however, in Chiedozie Ogbene and Carlton Morris, they have dangerous offensive threats backed up in midfield by a resurgent Ross Barkley, who has re-discovered the form that made him stand out when he was in Merseyside with Everton.
All four of those players have found the net at least once in Luton’s last four matches with the Hatters last drawing a blank in the league on November 11, away to Manchester United.
Recent Head To Head
The only recent meeting between the sides came earlier in the campaign when Luton were minutes away from securing a famous win against the Reds. It looked as if the Hatters were going to earn their first-ever Premier League home victory, only for Luis Diaz to net a 95th-minute equalizer to share the points after Tahith Chong had put the hosts 1-0 up in the 80th minute.
The game marked Diaz’s return to first-team action for Liverpool following the release of his parents after they had been kidnapped. It is perhaps also remembered as being a nightmare afternoon for forward Darwin Nunez who missed 3 big chances as well as striking the woodwork, all of which arguably cost Klopp’s side all three points.
The last meeting before that was a 5-0 win for Liverpool in an FA Cup tie in 2008 but perhaps the most famous match between the sides was in January 2006 which turned out to be an eight-goal thriller. The Reds found themselves 3-1 down but turned it around to win 5-3, with the pick of the goals coming from potential new Reds manager Xabi Alonso, who capped the result with a strike from his own half.
Liverpool vs Luton Prediction
Liverpool’s injury crisis presents a potential opportunity for Luton going into this game and it will also be interesting to see how much attention the Reds have on the Carabao Cup Final at the weekend. The fact that the squad is missing so many key players means Klopp’s hands are somewhat tied anyway so he might not be afforded the luxury of rotation in preparation for the trip to Wembley.
Read More: Liverpool Beat Brentford 4-1: Key Takeaways for The Reds as Salah Returns
Luton will take confidence from the fact they drew with the Reds at Kenilworth Road earlier in the campaign but the only point they have taken away from home against a current top 10 side was in the 4-4 draw with Newcastle at the start of February. With the Reds unbeaten at Anfield and having won 10 of their 12 league games this term, it’s hard to see beyond them winning this one.
Prediction: Liverpool to win 3-1.
Current Odds: Liverpool vs Luton
Liverpool – 2/9
Draw – 7/1
Luton – 13/1
