Everton

Everton manager David Moyes: "We want extra from the players, never mind the supporters. The supporters have been fantastic since I've returned.

"Goodison is always a great atmosphere and a difficult place to play. I've had some great nights here as a manager and hope we've got some more to come.

"The supporters have always played a huge part, they've been great for us. They've had a difficult period, hopefully they can see some light at the end of the tunnel."

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes on bridging the gap to Liverpool: "I'm trying to remember the first ones. Going back that far then, it was a different time. We were probably getting ourselves back into being competitive as a Premier League club.

"The gap between the two teams at the moment has probably been as big as it has been for a long time. So it's something I have to bridge, and start bringing the two clubs closer together.

"At that time, derbies were probably a bit more competitive. It was only in the last few years where we started to finish above them in the Premier League, it's something we're aiming to do again."

Image source, Getty Images

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes: "I know everybody is doing their best to make it memorable, for everybody who watches football.

"Vitalii Mykolenko has started training. He could be available. That's probably the main one."

Image source, Getty Images

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes on Arne Slot: "They had a great manager with Jurgen Klopp. I think most people will be amazed with what Arne Slot has done. I have to say, he's done a great job, hasn't he? Hard to say when you're sitting in this seat.

"He's done a great job and got the team playing really well."

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Joe: Hi Phil, a lot has been said on how average the Everton squad is (and it is definitely is) but not a lot is said at the very impressive work of Kevin Thelwell and Dyche and now Moyes at steadily improving the squad without any money. We sold Richarlison and Gordon, both quality players and despite that, across the squad the quality has improved. Garner, O'Brien, Alcaraz, Ndiaye, McNeil, are all solid acquisitions who have steadily improved us. Then consider Onana sold for a strong profit as well as Gordon and Richarlison. All of this whilst also reducing the wage bill. Moyes getting results actually shows what a good job Dyche and Thelwell did. Unfortunately Dyche ran out of energy. Long term it looks a lot better than it did!

Hello, Joe. You make some fair points, but you also say yourself the squad is average so I will disagree and say, in my opinion, the jury remains out on those who assembled this current squad, with director of football Kevin Thelwell the main man in that respect.

I will never be convinced Beto is worth £30m but I certainly think Iliman Ndiaye was a bargain in today’s market at £18M.

I will be interested to see how the partnership between Thelwell and David Moyes works going forward. This is because Moyes, quite rightly, is very particular and very meticulous about who he buys, and it sounds like Everton will do plenty of buying in the summer.

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes: "I've been involved in some of these Merseyside derbies and some of them have been incredible. When it was a case of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher it was who will kick who the fastest.

"The game has changed now and you can't play in such a fashion. I think the refeering is different nowadays. But hey, it's a great derby and has been a brilliant game over the years and many, many people enjoy those games."

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes: "I've got a couple of derby memories. I'll always remember Lee Carsley's goal when we won here, and Andy Johnson. But it's always been tough as I've said. Over the years Liverpool have always been tough opponents.

"Of course we want to win. But let's put it in perspective. The most important thing is we get points to stay in the Premier League. It's a big game. Let's hope the players are ready."

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes says thatVitalii Mykolenko is back in training and has a chance of featuring tomorrow night after missing the FA Cup loss to Bournemouth at the weekend with a calf issue.

Everton

Everton manager David Moyes: "I've been here many years but it's a while back since my last Merseyside derby. They've always been difficult games, Liverpool are always a tough opponent.

"But at Goodison it has always felt much easier because we have a fantastic support behind us.

"This game will be no different. Strange it was a rearranged fixture, so I now have the chance to manage."

Image source, Getty Images

Everton

Right, time to switch focus back to the Premier League for a little while as we hear from Everton boss David Moyes ahead of tomorrow's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Manchester City only limped into the play-offs with a last-gasp victory in their must-win final match against Club Brugge.

A problem of their own making? Yes and no.

Manager Pep Guardiola had the chance to strengthen his squad at the end of the last Premier League title-winning season, but decided against it partly because he was unsure of his own future.

He seriously considered the interest from the English FA and, for a while, he was 70-30 in favour of becoming the next national team coach, with those around him assuring him it would bring him a quieter life.

He also trusted in his players - the squad who brought him four Premier League titles - and ultimately decided he still had a job to do at Manchester City

In November, City were top of the table and the only team in the top five leagues to be unbeaten. Then the wheels fell off.

When Ilkay Gundogan returned in August, the original plan had been for him and Bernardo Silva to play about one out of every three games.

As things stand, Gundogan is just a couple of games away from playing 50% of the matches, which will mean an automatic renewal for him.

Rodri rupturing his cruciate knee ligament and injuries to potential replacements like Manuel Akanji and John Stones has been a key issue.

An out-of-sorts Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne struggling to maintain his customary high level and Jack Grealish being unable to demonstrate what a great player he could be, have exacerbated the problem.

The reality was there for all to see as a squad lacking energy laboured and went through the motions in training.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

This is the fourth season in a row Manchester City have met Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The previous three have been two semis and a quarter-final.

This time around they are meeting only to secure a last-16 encounter with either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal, Inter Milan or Juventus are among those who could lie in wait in the quarter-finals.

It is a measure of how hard both clubs found it to hit form in the early months of the season.

Real finished 11th in the 36-team table. City were down in 22nd.

But Real boss Carlo Ancelotti says his side and City only have themselves to blame.

"It surprises me we have to play this game," he said. "It would normally be a semi-final or a quarter. But it's our fault."

Look, Mike, it's good stuff but I'm afraid when it comes to liver-based content today, it is going to be nigh-on impossible to beat Aly...

Image source, Getty Images

Nico Gonzalez, Ederson, Nathan Ake and Jeremy Doku were all training yesterday afternoon before today's Champions League encounter with Real Madrid.

Ederson, Ake and Doku have all missed recent games through injury.

Gonzalez had been a doubt after being substituted in the first half of Saturday's FA Cup win at Leyton Orient.

Young midfielder Oscar Bobb remained absent from training.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on 5 Live Breakfast

These are two teams, that at the moment, if they describe the season they will be talking about their problems, they've got a lot of problems. They're not stable, I think was the words used by Pep Guardiola yesterday.

Can you imagine the managers preparing this? You've got Carlo Ancelotti who said it is a nightmare to prepare against Manchester City because they change so many things. When in reality Carlo, just goes and says "guys, just work when you don't have the ball" and he hasn't been able to convince them.

There's a bigger issue than that, Martin. There is actually some red on the Manchester City badge...

But if I may offer a possible explanation, perhaps the presence of the City badge overrides the inherent United-ness of the colour red?

Just a thought, Chris will have to provide the definitive answer to your question, though.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport's chief football news reporter

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has repeatedly used the word 'unstable' to describe his team over the past couple of days.

He openly admitted yesterday he did not know which City would turn up when they take on Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium.

They were not particularly impressive at Leyton Orient on Saturday and were awful when they lost 5-1 at Arsenal before that. They struggled against Club Brugge before a second-half comeback secured their passage into the play-offs.

Little wonder Guardiola refuses to believe his side are over the worst of their poor form.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Here we go again.

Real Madrid v Manchester City in a Champions League knockout match. It is becoming a classic rivalry of our times.

This will be the fourth time the football powerhouses have met in Europe in the last four seasons - but with one big difference.

This time, rather than being in the latter stages, both sides are fighting for their lives to merely make the last 16.

So how did two of Europe's most successful sides in recent seasons fail to make the top eight and end up in a play-off?