What a send-off for Goodison Park. And what a sending off with no fewer than four red cards issued after the final whistle by referee Michael Oliver who later stood accused of losing control. In reality, almost everyone lost their heads in what was this grand old stadium, in its 120th and final Merseyside derby, at its snarling, defiant, chaotic, almost riotous best.

Arne Slot, the Liverpool head coach, had paid tribute before kick-off in those calm, measured tones of his. By the end the Dutchman was among those red-carded – he had held Oliver’s hand for far too long and too aggressively, he had reacted with fury to Everton’s last-gasp equaliser, he had rushed on to the pitch and he looked in a state of shock. It is what this fixture can do to you.

In the context of the Premier League title race a draw is hardly a disaster for Liverpool – although the last-gasp manner of being denied the win, again, will hurt – as they extended their lead over Arsenal to seven points with 14 games to go. A glimmer of hope for those trying to catch Liverpool? Well, maybe, but no more than a chink of light.

In the context of the two halves of this famous football city meeting here for the last time it felt far more momentous, though.

If Liverpool had won it would have been a 42nd and last victory on this ground. One more than Everton. They could boast Goodison belonged to them, forever. And how that will have hurt. Instead it ended in a draw. For this game and for the 141-year history of playing each other here.

Emotions ran high, as they always would, and they exploded at the end, following James Tarkowski’s dramatic strike – timed at 97:08 – which went through two VAR checks one for a potential offside, the other for a possible foul, before being confirmed. With that powerful volley the Everton captain wrote his name in the club’s folklore. “The place was boiling over all night,” David Moyes said and he liked it that way.

It was not just Slot who was dismissed with Oliver issuing second yellows and then reds to Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucouré – who stood accused of provocation – and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones as they fought in front of the away fans.

There was also a red for Slot’s assistant Sipke Hulshoff in what was, already, the Premier League meeting with the most sendings off. With three reds for the Reds – as well as one for the Blues – it only confirmed its notorious, colourful status.

Whatever Moyes achieves in his second spell as Everton manager he has allowed the club to leave their home, and head for their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, with this defiant, pride-filled, spiky draw. He has brought that back, that “dogs of war” spirit and he called it a “throwback”. It was just that.

Yes, it was celebrated like a win – and maybe that shows where Everton are in relation to Liverpool – but in the context of the occasion, who could begrudge them? “There are places I’ll remember 1892 – 2025” read a banner at the Gwladys Street End and how Everton will remember this meeting in which they once again showed their new-found belief under Moyes.

Certainly there was an inevitably febrile atmosphere that found its way on to the pitch, making the game pocked with free-kicks, fouls and endless skirmishes.

For Everton this was about that pride. For Liverpool it was about the point but they will leave bitterly disappointed with Mohamed Salah having over-turned the concession of an early goal with yet another assist and a predatory strike to put his team in front. In this brilliant campaign for him he now already has 46 goal involvements, including scoring 27 times.

When the theme from Z-Cars struck up, after the siren call, and kick-off came, the response was stirring. Everton scored. The stadium, well, this tight, evocative ground that has been Everton’s proud home since 1892, with the club having previously played at Anfield before leaving over a rent dispute, it erupted.

As did Liverpool who were furious at the award of a free-kick. Slot led the touchline protests, captain Virgil van Dijk did so on the pitch and it set the tone.

In truth Liverpool switched off. Had Everton’s new set-piece coach Charlie Adam noticed something?

Jarrad Branthwaite picked out the run of Beto, Ibrahima Konaté did not react, Conor Bradley played the striker onside and the Portuguese calmly slipped his shot under Alisson Becker.

But that lead lasted less than five minutes and it was like a pin pricking that royal blue balloon as Salah crossed and Alexis Mac Allister – who had conceded the free-kick – superbly angled a header that left Jordan Pickford flat-footed.

To add further injury to Everton if this fixture had been played on its original date in December, before Storm Darragh intervened, Mac Allister would have been suspended.

The gap between the two teams is probably as big as it’s been for a long time, Moyes had conceded prior to the game. But the occasion can be a leveller and it was bitty, scrappy, and the foul count climbed. Eventually it actually felt that it suited Everton best and they were gaining the advantage only for them to concede with Jones sharp to intervene in the penalty area. His shot was headed out by Branthwaite but Salah was quick to poke it into the net.

Once again it felt like Salah, who touched the Liverpool badge on his chest, in what might still be his final season, would be the story. But a cussed Everton would not let that happen and Tarkowski intervened although with what then unfolded even that was not the headline. There will only ever be six more games here. None will be like this one.

10:09 PM GMT

Virgil van Dijk* speaks to TNT Sports

* Having been sent off Arne Slot will not be interviewed

09:57 PM GMT

David Moyes speaks to TNT Sports

09:50 PM GMT

Here are the VAR lines from the equaliser

…but Arne Slot and Liverpool’s complaint was that Beto shoved Konaté in the build-up, which he did.

09:46 PM GMT

Jones tried to stop Doucouré gloating in front of Liverpool fans

09:44 PM GMT

Referee’s verdict

09:40 PM GMT

Mayhem

09:39 PM GMT

James Tarkowski speaks to Jules Breach

09:36 PM GMT

Full time: Everton 2 Liverpool 2

All kicked off. Doucouré and Jones are both sent off for clashing after the final whistle when Doucouré taunted the Liverpool fans and Jones shoved him.

Slot has been sent off for protesting that, too.

09:32 PM GMT

GOAL!

Liverpool 2 Everton 2 (Tarkowski) Smashes in a right-foot volley from 10 yards after a clever knock on from Iroegbunum. Some fans ran on to the pitch and had to leave for the VAR delay.

09:31 PM GMT

Onside but checking for a foul

Beto on Konaté.

09:30 PM GMT

VAR check for offside

He absolutely thundered the volley in. But was the knockdown from an offside position?

09:28 PM GMT

GOAL!?

Everton 2 Liverpool 2 (Tarkowski)  Checking for offside.

09:28 PM GMT

90+6 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Liverpool fans are giving it You’ll Never Walk Alone while Everton fans try to drown it out with boos.

09:25 PM GMT

90+4 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Alcaraz and Brantwaite collide, knocking heads. Chest hit chest and then head struck face. They’ve been given the OK.

09:25 PM GMT

90+3 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Iroegbunum, encouraged to shoot after a neat one-two with Doucouré, smashes a shot into the crowd from 25 yards with blue shirts ahead of him.

Keane has sat back down.

09:23 PM GMT

90+2 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Everton snatch at a cross and lose the initiative for a lack of patience.

09:22 PM GMT

90 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Five minutes of stoppage time are signalled. Iroegbunum dribbles past two but then runs into Van Dijk. Liverpool counter and Salah goes off on a solo raid upfield which is ended by a foul from Branthwaite that isn’t given.

09:21 PM GMT

88 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Everton are going to send Keane on as a Hail Mary centre-forward in a minute.

09:20 PM GMT

86 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Young → Garner

And for Liverpool:

Jota → Diaz.

Jota is straight into the fray and sets up a shot for Salah who wraps his left instep around the ball in the D and Pickford soars to slap it over.

09:18 PM GMT

84 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

That’s better from Everton. Doucouré wins the ball on the left 30 yards from goal and feeds Beto who takes on the shot though Alcaraz is better placed, further ahead and screaming for it. The big centre-forward gets it on target but scuffs it and Alisson can simply flop on to it and smother the ball.

09:15 PM GMT

82 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

The goal has killed the home crowd and killed Everton’s spirit. They could argue that they don’t deserve to lose but they’ll need to find the fight of the first 70 minutes to claw something back. They look flat now.

09:12 PM GMT

80 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

Velvety flick with the outside of his left foot by Salah puts the ball in Alexander-Arnold’s stride and he slides a diagonal pass 35 yards towards the D and Branthwaite, who has been excellent and should now start for England, glides ahead of Nunez to nick it away.

09:10 PM GMT

78 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

All you can hear now is ‘Allez! Allez! Allez!’ and the odd Evertonian expletive.

09:08 PM GMT

76 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 2

A 22nd league goal of the season for Salah. Lethal.

Moyes rolls the dice.

Iroegbunum → Gueye
Alcaraz → Lindstrom.

09:04 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 1 Liverpool 2 (Salah) He has barely touched the ball this half but was Jonny on the Spot when Díaz’s cross from the left was blocked by a sliding Tarkowski. O’Brien was on his heels and Jones nipped in to pounce on the ball and fire a shot across goal that Branthwaite blocked... straight to Salah who buried it from eight yards.

09:04 PM GMT

72 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Docouré blazes over from the free-kick after Tarkowski’s header works the opening. Harrison was brought down by Mac Allister to set it up.

09:02 PM GMT

70 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Nunez → Gakpo
Tsimikas → Robertson.

Liverpool are under the cosh because of Everton’s physicality and concede another free-kick that prompts Slot to go full Rumpelstiltskin on the sidelines.

09:00 PM GMT

69 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Branthwaite stabs the ball past Alisson into the goal from a corner but he was offside, clearly so when winning the second ball to set up the chance to knock it past the keeper.

08:58 PM GMT

68 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Brave and well-timed header from Van Dijk to beat Beto to Harrison’s cross. Everton corner.

08:57 PM GMT

66 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Mykolenko steps across Szoboszlai who claims for a penalty right by the line on the right of the bobut he went down like a bag of hammers after the slightests brush. ‘That’s embarrassing,’ says Rio Ferdinand.

08:55 PM GMT

64 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Yellow card for Jones for sliding in on Lindstrom, one leg in front like a lance with studs showing.

08:54 PM GMT

62 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

The ball hits Konaté‘s hand as it bounces up when he was running back into his own box challenging Beto. The crowd wants a penalty but it was accidental and VAR agrees with Oliver.

08:52 PM GMT

60 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Couple of lovely touches and feints as Díaz dribbles across field and beats Gueye, Garner and Harrison but then he overruns the ball and catches Doucouré.

Alexander-Arnold → Bradley
Jones → Gravenberch.

Gravenberch looks quizzical.

08:50 PM GMT

58 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Bradley is about to be hooked after flirting with a second yellow for another ‘tactical’ foul, obstructing Doucouré. Slot summons Alexander-Arnold immediately and tells him to get stripped. Don’t think it deserved a booking but the home crowd did, singing ‘You’re not fit to referee.’

08:48 PM GMT

56 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Beto latches on to the ball after Doucouré distracts Van Dijk and the Liverpool captain lets the ball bounce. Beto pounces and runs infield, tacking across the 18 yard line until he spots Harrison and passes it. Harrison opens his body and tries to pick out the bottom left corner with a precise shot with his instep as Alisson scrambled to cover but it dribbles past the post and out for a goal-kick.

08:45 PM GMT

54 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Big chance for Doucouré after Gueye puts it on a plate for him with a cross stood up between penalty spot and right post. A bit of a floater of a cross so Doucouré tried to put some force on it rather than deflect it but in doing so bulleted it wide.

08:43 PM GMT

52 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

After the stoppage for treatment Liverpool give the ball back to Everton then win it back and start probing 40 yards from goal. Salah whips a diagonal into the box and Branthwaite hacks it out for what he hoped would be a throw-in but it screws and spins behind for a corner instead having hit the corner flag post. Branthwaite clears the corner with a monster of a defensive header.

08:40 PM GMT

49 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Mac Allister throws out a hand to hold Garner at bay and catches him in the eye.

08:39 PM GMT

47 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

The half-time consensus was that it’s in Liverpool’s best interests to kill the pace, slow the game down, puncture Everton’s aggression with possession. For Everton it’s... carry on. Beto gives Konaté a shove as the centre-half went up to win a header. Free-kick.

08:37 PM GMT

46 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Harrison stretchs his legs with a raid up the left after the restart and Konaté zooms over to give Bradley a necessary helping hand.

08:25 PM GMT

Half-time verdict

08:22 PM GMT

Half-time: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Hectic, frantic, enjoyable. Lots of needle in the challenges. A full-blooded derby so far.

08:21 PM GMT

45+5 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Pickford turns Szoboszlai’s 20-yard shot from the right of the D with his palm to the keeper’s right and Tarkowski, proper;y alert, dashes back and slides to get between the ball and Diaz and hook it away to help his keeper out.

08:20 PM GMT

45+4 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

For the third time Díaz bumps Branthwaite while the centre-half was going up for a header. Moyes shakes his head and raises three fingers.

08:18 PM GMT

45+3 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Now Doucouré is booked for a foul on Bradley who embellishes it a bit. The full-back kicked the underside of Doucouré‘s boot and smacked his metatarsals into the studs.

08:17 PM GMT

45+1 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Bradley is booked for steaming into Mykolenko a second or too after the left-back had successfully shepherded the ball out for a goal-kick.

08:16 PM GMT

45 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Fibe minutes of stoppage time are signalled for the VAR check and Ndiaye’s injury/

08:16 PM GMT

44 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Menacing cross on the run from Mykolenko who had made it to the byline but Liverpool work it clear and then Oliver plays advantage when Gueye was grabbing Gakpo’s arm, suggesting that it deserved another booking and hence a red card for Gueye.

08:14 PM GMT

42 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Garner passes out to Harrison who storms down the left until Mykolenko hares down the outside to occupy Bradley. So Harrison cuts inside on to his right and stands up a cross to the penalty spot for Beto who can only flick it on tamely rather than divert it with the meat of his brow.

08:12 PM GMT

40 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Finally the volume drops as Van Dijk hangs on to the ball and then clips a long diagonal out to Salah who volleys a pass to the underlapping Bradley. Mykolenko, though, had tracked the run and his tackle conveniently sailed to Pickford.

08:10 PM GMT

38 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Having watched Jack Harrison many times for Leeds from 2018-23, I can report he is far better as a left winger than an inverted right winger. Here Moyes is using him on the left and he’s doing OK so far.

08:08 PM GMT

35 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Branthwaite plays another good pass up the inside left, Beto nods it on and Mac Allister brings down Garner who had taken the knockdown in his stride. Lindstrom is booked for miming the award of a yellow card. They mess up the cross from the free-kick again and Gueye is booked for stopping Liverpool’s counter with a Fernadinho special.

08:05 PM GMT

32 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Lindstrom gets away with grabbing Díaz round the waist and throwing him over. Beto, who has been putting it about, crashes into Van Dijk long after he laid the ball off, conceding a free-kick and enraging Van Dijk. Rio Ferdinand says David Moyes would have said something like ‘I don’t want Van Dijk’s hair nice and gelled. I want it down round his eyes.’ It’s part of their strategy to rattle him.

08:02 PM GMT

30 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

O’Brien tries to thunder a clearance upfield but it hits Diaz and balloons out to Liverpool’s right but they cannot exploit the fortunate bounce of the ball.

The quality of both goals apart, there’s not been much else on show so far because of the frenetic pace and lack of space.

08:00 PM GMT

28 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Liverpool are trying to take some of the heat out of the frantic start with Van Dijk walking forward after a length spell off short passing across the back four.

07:58 PM GMT

26 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Bradley fouls Harrison as he was straining to get to a too short pass down the left. Lindstrom pulls rank to take it and hits the first Liverpool sentry, to Everton groans. Liverpool race upfield to try to counter but Doucouré wins the ball and Robertson first fouls him then boots the ball away to earn himself a booking.

07:55 PM GMT

23 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Ndiaye is weeping. holding his shirt to his eyes as he tries to put weight on his right leg. He is being consoled by Doucouré and Gueye. He should be carried off but limps instead. Poor lad.

Harrison → Ndiaye.

07:52 PM GMT

21 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

Ndiaye is hurt and needs treatment after a nudge from Szoboszlai when in full flight makes him kick the ground with his foot and seemingly jar his knee.

07:50 PM GMT

18 min: Everton 1 Liverpool 1

A breathless few minutes but Everton’s loss of concentration after doing something well was a hallmark of Dyche’s side too. Hard to eradicate. May take a pre-season.

07:46 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 1 Liverpool 1 (Mac Allister) Terrific header, improvising to head it with the part of the crown just above his left ear to flick it into the right of goal from Salah’s inswinging cross. Great run from Mac Allister to peel off Beto having won the ball in midfield and get into the box to get on the end of that.

07:43 PM GMT

GOAL!

Everton 1 Liverpool 0 (Beto) Yes, he was onside. .Branthwaite takes a quick free-kick on halfway by the left touchline and catches Liverpool napping. He splits the centre-backs with his pass and Beto, lurking on Konaté‘s shoulder, blindsides the centre-half and pounces on to the pass and then threads his shot between the diving Alisson’s left arm and knee. It shouldn’t have been a free-kick in the first place. No wonder Slot and Van Dijk are fuming.

07:41 PM GMT

GOAL!?

Everton 1 Liverpool 0 (Beto) There will be a VAR check.

07:40 PM GMT

11 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Gueye sprays a 50-yard crossfield pass out to the right by Lindstrom who rides a Robertson foul to whip over a cross that slams into the side-netting.

07:39 PM GMT

9 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

The crowd are making a pleasing racket, howling with pleasure when Salah was bodychecked, raising the rafters for throw-ins. Díaz links with Gakpo down the Liverpool left but Beto came back to help O’Brien and his tenacity and control earns his side a lustily cheered throw-in.

07:37 PM GMT

7 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Doucouré knocks the ball forward early with his head for Beto to chase but he was slow off the mark and Robertson came in from the left on the cover.

07:36 PM GMT

4 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Everton corner on the right after Lindstrom’s cross failed to pick out Beto or the onrushing Doucouré. Konaté heads it behind and Szoboszlai deals with the corner.

07:33 PM GMT

2 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Tarkowski pumps the ball long, too long and it skips through to Alisson and Liverpool start to build slowly. Tarkowski had time and space but just lumped it.

07:32 PM GMT

1 min: Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Everton kick off, attacking from right to left so will have the Gwladys behind them in the first half. They lose the ball quickly and Liverpool come down the right with Salah, Bradley and Gravenberch combining and Everton not getting a tackle in but they are flagged offside when the pass is chipped towards the box.

07:27 PM GMT

The teams are out

No kit colour clashes here.

07:26 PM GMT

Interesting stat

07:25 PM GMT

Nearly time

07:20 PM GMT

Blasts from the past

07:14 PM GMT

Look who’s on the front of Everton’s matchday programme

It’s the man who scored the second goal in David Moyes’ last victory in the derby back in 2010 and also the current Arsenal manager:

07:13 PM GMT

David Moyes speaks to TNT Sports

07:02 PM GMT

Nice story this – he’s back

06:52 PM GMT

It’s a pyro mad city

06:41 PM GMT

A pre-match statistical smorgasbord snorter

By Ben Marsden

• Everton haven’t won consecutive Merseyside derbies since 1985.

• Liverpool’s last away league defeat came at Goodison Park – a 2-0 loss last season.

• Last season’s win was Everton’s first home derby win since October 2010.

• No other Premier League fixture has produced more red cards (23).

• Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have more clean sheets in the league than Everton this season.

• Liverpool have lost three of their last ten matches in all competitions - as many defeats as they had in their previous 36 games.

• Mohamed Salah has 21 goal contributions in 12 away games this season – no player has ever contributed to more goals away from home in a single season.

• David Moyes’ side are looking for four consecutive league victories for the first time since December 2023.

• Everton have scored just 23 times this season, with Ipswich and Southampton the only two sides to score less.

• David Moyes’ Merseyside derby record is W3, D7, L12.

06:38 PM GMT

Your teams in black and white

Everton Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; Lindstrøm, Doucouré, Ndiaye; Beto.
Substitutes Virginia, Begovic, Keane, Harrison, Young, Alcaraz, Iroegbunam, Sherif, Heath.

Liverpool Alisson; Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Díaz.
Substitutes Kelleher,Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Endo, Nunez, Jones, Elliott, Jota.

Referee Michael Oliver (Ashington)

06:34 PM GMT

Victory for Liverpool

Would put them nine points clear with 14 to play.

06:32 PM GMT

Ins and outs

06:23 PM GMT

Everton team news

06:21 PM GMT

Liverpool team news

Bradley starts, Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench.

06:20 PM GMT

Carragher meets Big Dunc: Team bus left me at Anfield while I waited to have it out with Ince

05:46 PM GMT

Slot: ‘Cool head not legs’

The final countdown is underway at Goodison Park and tonight it unleashes its last Merseyside derby roar.

David Moyes and Arne Slot have granted due deference to the fact the emotional setting can have a significant influence on the outcome, Everton hosting Liverpool one more time before relocating to their new £500 million home.

Evidence from recent derbies shows that the respective league positions of the neighbours is irrelevant, Liverpool looking to tighten their grip at the Premier League summit while Everton aspire to consolidate a position of safety.

Despite the obvious superiority of Liverpool during the Jürgen Klopp era, Slot’s predecessor won just two of his nine Goodison fixtures, the last visit his most harrowing as it effectively terminated fading title dreams last season.

Slot re-watched that game to get a few pointers of what is in store, but videos will barely scratch the surface of the noise levels, especially during an evening derby.

“[Keep] a cool head but not cool legs,” was Slot’s advice on how to deal with an intimidating atmosphere..

“You have to run just as much, be just as intense in tackles. That is where it starts and nine of 10 times after 10 or 15 minutes a game settles down a bit and then you can start to think even more about playing football. But last season, in the first 10 minutes there were 10 free-kicks in favour of Everton and you know what they did with it, they brought them in every single time and I think that led to their first goal.

“You have to be mentally really strong as an away team to resist all that.”

For Moyes, there has been so much focus on the Goodison factor he issued a timely reminder that it is for his players to match the ferocity of their crowd.

“Let’s not kid ourselves. There is a gulf between the teams in quality at the moment and obviously that is shown in the league position as well,” said Moyes.

“That’s where you have to find a way to bridge the gap on the night.

“It’s just a game, another game, but I will tell the players about what it means to the supporters. Yet if I have to tell them that, you would be questioning where they are in their footballing world. Especially when we are talking about the last one at Goodison. It is a big thing. Everyone here is aware of trying to finish at Goodison in a great place. All the staff around the place are trying to make the last few games here special.”

05:35 PM GMT

Betting on the game?

Liverpool have been flying high this season, but Everton fans will be looking to give Goodison Park a fairytale send off and knock their neighbours down a notch. Back your selections for the game with these best betting sites.

05:28 PM GMT

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05:25 PM GMT

Preview: The last time

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of the final league derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park. There is no writer more susceptible to indulging themselves with a trip down memory lane than this one but I will spare you today as Chris Bascombe beat me to it with this fab piece, featuring Ian Rush, Gary McAllister, Wayne Clarke and Tony Cottee, on the history of this great fixture. Fill your boots.

So I will restrict myself to the basics: last season Everton broke a run stretching back 14 years of no home win in a derby meaning Sean Dyche could put a feather in his cap (not that the worm-eater would ever deign to wear something as fey as a head covering) that eluded Roberto Martínez, Ronnie Koeman, Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard. Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the goals in the 2-0 victory which, with two games to go, stamped on Liverpool’s remaining title hopes. Everton bombarded their visitors with free-kicks and corners on that night in April and, even under the second coming of David Moyes with their sharper build-up play and mercifully more thrilling approach, they are sure to be direct again.

It has brought him a hat-trick of successive victories in the league – over Spurs, Brighton and Leicester – but Bournemouth gave them a bit of a chasing in the first half of their FA Cup fourth-round defeat though nothing as mortifying as Liverpool’s exit at the hands of the Championship’s bottom dwellers, Plymouth Argyle. That was a properly Devonian smack in the face for their team of too many irregulars but that’s what can happen when you make 10 changes against a well-motivated opponent with a charismatic new manager enjoying a bounce.

They will be back to full-strength today with the possible exception of Conor Bradley starting instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold who has had only one training session since his thigh strain. It is far graver for Everton, who have seven ruled out medium- or long-term – Youssef Chermiti, Seamus Coleman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil, Armando Broja, Nathan Patterson and Orel Mangala (who has gone back to Lyon following surgery) – but may have Vitalii Mykolenko back after his heel/calf injury.