"They were iffy at best" - Bold prediction made by Mark Lawrenson ahead of Liverpool vs Aston Villa

Mark Lawrenson shared a surprising prediction for the upcoming Premier League clash between Liverpool and Aston Villa. He predicted that the clash at Anfield would end in a 1-1 stalemate.

Lawrenson added that the Reds are without Virgil van Dijk. He was not impressed with the Reds' last performance at Anfield against Bournemouth that ended in a 3-1 win.

He further went on to praise Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, as Lawrenson predicted on Paddy Power:

"I really like the Villa manager Unai Emery, he’s very, very smart and tactically he’s as good as anybody. Liverpool are without Virgil van Dijk and there could be others missing, too. The last time Liverpool played at home they were iffy at best. Villa are strong, they’re athletic and good going forward so I’ll go for a draw."

The Merseysiders have gotten off to a good start to their Premier League campaign, winning two of their three games and have seven points on the board from three matches. Villa, meanwhile, are seventh with six points from three matches at this point in time.

---

Ryan Gravenberch spoke about his move to Liverpool

Ryan Gravenberch has joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich and adds to the pool of multi-functioning midfielders that Jurgen Klopp has recruited in the summer transfer market.

Gravenberch has shared his take on his deadline day arrival, saying (via the Reds' website):

"Yeah, I'm very happy. Very happy that the deal is done and I'm finally here. For me, I just had to be relaxed. I spoke a lot with my agent and he said to me, 'Everything is going to be alright.' For me, I had to just be relaxed and just wait for this moment."

He will partner alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister at the heart of the midfield. The former Ajax star didn't flourish according to plan at Ajax and has the chance to make amends at Anfield.