This is actually quite tricky to call, a lot more so than when it was meant to be played in December.

All those changes Arne Slot made in the FA Cup to rest his players means the quadruple is gone now for Liverpool and, with apologies for being pedantic, it also means they cannot win the Treble either - not the proper one, anyway.

Everton also went out of the FA Cup, but David Moyes went strong with his line-up against Bournemouth and they hit the woodwork three times.

I do not think that defeat means the Toffees have lost much of the momentum they had built from winning their past three league games and, of course, this is the last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park, which adds an extra edge to it from their point of view.

Part of me thinks Liverpool will still nick a win, but I am actually going to back Everton to get something here. It will be a close game, that's for sure.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Everton

Everton fan Natalie who has been going to Goodison since 1995: “With our recent upturn in results, the threat of relegation has reduced for us so this derby is all about the beginning of the Goodison goodbye for the fans. It is hugely important for us to finish with a win or at least without a defeat.

"We know Liverpool fans would love to rub it in but we have to avoid that. A win on Wednesday would forever be up there as a favourite derby win. The last Everton player to score a winner in the derby at Goodison will go down in history.

“Your first derby win is always special and mine was a 2-0 win in 1997. The best bit for an eight-year-old me was shouting “dodgy keeper” repeatedly at David James, I felt like I was ready to join the ‘Ultras’.”

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer on the Goodison's Greatest Derbies podcast

Image source, Getty Images

[Goodison Park] has a great sense of history. It is an old fashioned, traditional, stadium, hemmed in by the terraced houses. It has still got the Archibald Leitch design on the stands and it just has that atmosphere of a great, old stadium.

When this game was postponed everybody’s mind immediately turned to the fact that it would be a floodlit game.

The atmosphere is extra special, as it would be at Anfield, when the floodlights are on, we’ve seen that in recent derby games that they are much better on a Wednesday night under the lights than in a howling gale on a Saturday lunchtime as was the original schedule.

Liverpool

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This will be Arne Slot's first Merseyside derby as head coach of Liverpool and if he guides them to win at Goodison tonight, not only will the FA Cup defeat by Plymouth be forgotten about, it'll also take his side nine points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

"I haven't been to one, but people tell me that it is always a fantastic atmosphere at Goodison Park," Slot said.

"It's not an easy atmosphere to play against - every time they cross the halfway line or get a corner kick, the fans will cheer for that. You have to be mentally strong as the away team to resist all that.

"I assume that our players are ready for another battle."

Pat Nevin
Former Everton winger on the Goodison's Greatest Derbies podcast

One of the joys of [the Merseyside derby] is that build up to it. It is very special, as are most derby games, but it very much feels like it belongs to Liverpool and everyone there.

That feeling of scoring a goal and looking towards the crowd and at times at Goodison there were red dots in and amongst the blue. That was very common and acceptable and also very fun if you scored. You think about how few derbies are really like that.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer on the Goodison's Greatest Derbies podcast

Image source, Getty Images

One of the big barriers Everton will have to face when they move because it will be very, very difficult to recreate that special environment of hostility, of atmosphere, the general feel of the place at Goodison Park anywhere else.

Goodison Park just has something very special about it when it comes to atmosphere and games played at night, particularly derby games, really special atmospheres and that is going to be really difficult to recreate. I’m not quite sure how you do it. They will have a crack at it I’m sure but the new stadium, beautiful as it looks, it doesn’t yet have and it may never have what Goodison Park has which is something very special.

Liverpool

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If we're talking about classic Merseyside derby moments, then we have to mention Gary McAllister's winner for Liverpool at Goodison Park in 2001.

There had been four goals, two penalties - one missed by Robbie Fowler, one scored by David Unsworth - 12 yellow cards and a sending off for Reds midfielder Igor Biscan when McAllister stepped up to take a stoppage-time free-kick 45 yards from goal with the score level at 2-2.

If you want to see how the BBC Sport live text has evolved, have a read of the commentary page from 24 years ago called 'Clockwatch'.

Image source, Getty Images

It is hard to pick out standout matches from so many good ones in the 119, but here are five that highlight the drama and emotion of the derby:

• 11 March 1967 - Everton 1-0 Liverpool

Demand for tickets was so high for this FA Cup tie that Liverpool put eight giant screens inside Anfield to show the match live - a huge operation back then.

At Goodison, 65,000 fans watched the match - and a further 40,000 watched on the screens at Anfield. It was the biggest audience for a single FA Cup match outside the final and Alan Ball scored the winner.

• 6 November 1982 - Everton 0-5 Liverpool

A legendary performance from Liverpool icon Ian Rush, who scored four goals to condemn Everton to their heaviest derby defeat at Goodison.

The famous "Rush scored one, Rush scored two..." song was born at this match. Alan Hansen provided two assists for the Welshman against an Everton side in the early days of what would be a very successful era under Howard Kendall.

• 20 February 1991 - Everton 4-4 Liverpool

Liverpool led four times - including a brilliant goal with his 'wrong' foot by Barnes - in a pulsating FA Cup replay in what was to be Kenny Dalglish's final match as manager in his first term with the Reds.

Everton found an equaliser each time and went on to win the second replay 1-0.

• 23 November 2013 - Everton 3-3 Liverpool

Daniel Sturridge's late equaliser rescued a point for Liverpool in a see-saw classic of endless chances. Philippe Coutinho gave the visitors an early lead but Kevin Mirallas - who could have been sent off for a tackle on Luis Suarez - equalised.

Suarez restored Liverpool's advantage but two Romelu Lukaku goals put the home side ahead before Sturridge's 89th-minute leveller.

• 24 April 2024 - Everton 2-0 Liverpool

The most recent derby match will live long in the memory for Everton fans as Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored to dent Liverpool's hopes of lifting the Premier League title and move themselves closer to top-flight survival.

"You lost the league at Goodison Park" was heard as the Toffees secured their first home win over Liverpool in 14 years.

Image source, Getty Images

James, Gunnersaurus makes me laugh more than it should do.

Just a reminder the Merseyside derby at Goodison was originally scheduled to be played in December but was postponed on safety grounds because of severe weather caused by Storm Darragh.

Tonight's forecast in Liverpool is light cloud and zero chance of rain. Wrap up, though, because it'll be cold.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer on the Goodison's Greatest Derbies podcast

Image source, Getty Images

I have seen the stats for Merseyside derbies, it’s 41 wins each and 37 draws. It is incredible that we arrive at what could potentially be the last one at Goodison with that on the line as it were. Knowing it is 41 wins each shows how tight it has been between the clubs over the years, and it adds another layer to the game, with them both arriving with the same amount of wins.

Last season we saw that Everton had been pretty grim for most of the season and then suddenly they go and beat Liverpool 2-0. The sight of the red shirts at Goodison revived them. It was probably their best performance of the season and it left you wondering, ‘Where have they been all season?’ Maybe it was the sight of Liverpool, the fact that they could help themselves and damage Liverpool’s title hopes.

The landscape has changed since the first derby [earlier in the season]. They have a new manager, well a new old manager in David Moyes. In the space of three or four weeks he has revived the team and perhaps the fanbase as well. The mood will be a lot different now than it might have been when it was first due to be played before it was called off.

Cheers, Anon. Your name will be 'Joe Bloggs' sibling'.

Pat Nevin
Former Everton winger on the Goodison's Greatest Derbies podcast

[An Everton win] is definitely possible. A draw wouldn’t shock anyone with what David Moyes has done. Liverpool had a little wobble, if you look at it with a squint. The draw against Manchester United, the draw with Nottingham Forest, the game against Brentford where it took two goals right at the very end to win it. However Liverpool have been a joy to watch this season and will be favourites to win.

It does feel like there is something a little extra special about this game. The players will be right up for it. I do think the little tweaks, that are almost unnoticeable, from David Moyes have made a big difference. The way they get the ball forward is so quick, it is not pass, pass, pass, a lot of the goals have come from a more direct approach. They are also getting the ball into Illiman N’Diaye up top – he is not Mo Salah, but he is very, very good.

Back to tonight's derby and David Moyes has quickly turned the Toffees' fortunes around since returning.

When the Scotsman took charge, Everton were 16th in the Premier League - one point clear of the relegation zone - with only three wins from 19 games.

They remain 16th but have won their past three Premier League matches to put a nine-point cushion between themselves and the drop zone.

Moyes managed Everton from 2002 until 2013, taking them from a relegation-threatened side to the FA Cup final in 2009 and nine top-eight finishes in the Premier League - including fourth above Liverpool in 2004-05, which took them into Champions League qualifying.

During that time he guided Everton to four derby wins, eight draws and 13 losses.

He faces a similar task this time, with Everton consistently lurking around the relegation places in recent years.

Arsenal

What next for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his attacking plans for the rest of the season? Send us your thoughts on this Kai Havertz news via the usual channels: #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).

Arsenal

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz is set to miss the rest of the 2024-25 season with a torn hamstring, reports The Athletic football correspondent, David Ornstein.

This is yet to be verified by the BBC.

BBC football journalist Alex Howell reported earlier today that Havertz was being assessed after picking up a muscle injury in the side's Dubai training camp.

We'll just break off from the derby for two seconds and head over to Arsenal...

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Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko could feature despite missing the FA Cup defeat by Bournemouth at the weekend with a minor calf issue.

New signing Carlos Alcaraz made his debut as a substitute during that match.

Nathan Patterson, Seamus Coleman, Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti all remain sidelined.

League leaders Liverpool will be without defender Joe Gomez, who limped off 11 minutes into his return from a hamstring injury in Sunday's FA Cup defeat by Plymouth.

However, Trent Alexander-Arnold has resumed training after a two-match injury absence and might return.