"It’s not stopped him scoring" - Mark Lawrenson jokes about Mohamed Salah as he makes Liverpool vs Brentford prediction
Former Liverpool defender-turned-television pundit Mark Lawrenson has backed the Reds to beat Brentford on Sunday, August 25. While joking about Mohamed Salah's new hairstyle, he backed Arne Slot's side for a 3-0 win.
Liverpool will take on Thomas Frank's Brentford in their first Premier League home game of the season on Sunday, August 25. They kicked off the new season with a 2-0 win against Ipswich Town last week at the Portman Road Stadium.
Brentford also started their season with a victory, beating Crystal Palace 2-1 in their opening game without Ivan Toney. However, Mark Lawrenson believes that the Reds will be too strong for the Bees, especially away from home.
Lawrenson has cast his doubts on whether Toney will be involved in the game while also making fun of Mohamed Salah's haircut. The former Republic of Ireland defender told Paddy Power:
"Liverpool will win this. Teams like Brentford struggle away from home, though they have signed a few good players and they look better but I don’t suppose Ivan Toney will play. I’ll go 3-0 to Liverpool. Mo Salah’s had a sharp trim, I didn’t recognize him. I reckon his Mrs trimmed it off when he was asleep!"
Aside from highlighting Salah's goalscoring prowess, Lawrenson also hailed Diogo Jota for his eye for goals and intelligent movement and said:
"It’s not stopped him scoring though but I fancy Diogo Jota to score in this game. He’s as good a goal scorer as Liverpool have, he goes under the radar and his movement is fantastic."
Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota found the back of the net for Arne Slot's side last week in their 2-0 win over Ipswich Town. Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa, on the other hand, scored for Brentford in their win against Crystal Palace.
Journalist offers update on Virgil van Dijk's future at Liverpool
Liverpool have been given a major boost regarding their hopes of tying skipper Virgil van Dijk down to a new deal. As per reputed journalist David Lynch, the Dutchman is keen on staying at Anfield beyond next summer.
The Reds have been concerned regarding van Dijk's future at the club, with the 33-year-old entering the final 12 months of his deal. However, Lynch has insisted that the defender has no plans to leave the Merseyside giants at the moment.
The reliable journalist stated on his YouTube channel:
"He has made clear to us, every time I speak to him behind the scenes, he really really wants to stay at Liverpool, so the desire's there on his part."
Van Dijk has been a key player for Liverpool since his £75 million switch from Southampton in January 2018. He has made 271 appearances for the Reds so far helping them win eight trophies, including one Premier League and one Champions League.