Football Focus
BBC Sport

Former Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince: "Last year under Roberto Martinez Everton were a new team, other sides weren't aware of them. This year, when their full-backs are so far forward they get caught on the break and it is down the sides that they are leaking goals.

"As for Liverpool, any team that loses Luis Suarez will suffer. Daniel Sturridge has been out too, and when you bring in foreign players it takes time to settle in. It took me two or three months to get going at Inter Milan. It does take time.

"Steven Gerrard is a world class player, still. I was 35 at Wolves, he is 34. The problem he has now is that teams have latched on to him, and he is not getting as much influence on the game."

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

There are six Merseyside derby debutants in Liverpool's starting XI at Anfield today - Dejan Lovren, Javier Manquillo, Alberto Moreno, Mario Balotelli, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic. Everton fan Lallana and Markovic replace Fabio Borini and Lucas Leiva as Reds boss Brendan Rodgers makes two changes from last week's defeat by West Ham. Still no Daniel Sturridge in the squad, though - the striker did not win his race for fitness.

Everton also lost last time out in the league, in what their manager Roberto Martinez called a "spooky" defeat by Crystal Palace and he reacts by making four changes from that match - Muhamed Besic makes his first Premier League start and Tony Hibbert, Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas also come in. Sylvain Distin, Christian Atsu, Leon Osman and Samuel Eto'o are the men making way.

Gabriel: My favourite derby moment has to be in Stretford End, Manchester United v City in 2009, Carlos Tevez's return to Old Trafford only to be silenced by a moment of magic from Michael Owen in the dying embers of extra-time to top off a marvel of a game.

Niall in West Yorkshire: Stan Collymore's overhead kick equaliser for Bradford City against Leeds! Lad!

Football Focus
BBC Sport

Everton winger Aiden McGeady: "The 4-0 defeat at Anfield in January, I don't want to go down that side again, losing 4-0 in a derby. Hopefully this time we will be on the winning side - there is no reason why we can't go and end that record of consecutive draws and losses.

Image source, Getty Images

"Roberto Martinez is one of the best coaches I have seen tactically. Some of his ideas in positions, little variants on play, I have never seen before. He has opened my eyes, he has been brilliant so far, very different to the kind of coach I have come across in the past.

"When he took over he said he would get the club into the Champions League, ultimately we fell just a little bit short, but there is an expectation to go better this year."

Arrived at Anfield for the first derby of the day! #2derbiesinaday #LFCvEFC

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 live

Former Everton captain David Weir, who skippered his side to victory at Anfield in 1999, on 5 live: "It's been too long since Everton last won at Anfield, so let's hope today's a good day if you're a Toffees fan. It's always difficult to go to Anfield and get a result - we weren't favourites when we won there in 1999, and probably Everton aren't favourites again today. But in a local derby there's always that element of uncertainty.

"Derbies are the worst games to lose, because there's such local pride at stake. You feel the build-up in the week preceding the game and then the affects afterwards.

"If you lose you just don't want to come out of the house, the weekend is ruined, the following week is ruined. The players know that and the vast majority have played in a Merseyside derby before. So it's sore feeling when you lose, but on the other hand it feels great when you win."

Jason Roberts, BBC Radio 5 live
Former Blackburn striker

"Everton have this hoodoo going to Liverpool and the way they have been performing lately I can't see it changing. As for Liverpool, Mario Balotelli is certainly a goalscorer. But he doesn't offer what Luis Suarez offered in terms of mobility, decisiveness and getting around the pitch."

Hannah:, external No Seamus Coleman is a massive blow for us... Let's hope we can compensate by being super attacking. COYB!

Samuel Rhydderch:, external Liverpool's philosophy is fluidity and chemistry. The problem now is integrating new players into this philosophy...

Tim Arstall:, external If ever there was a chance for Everton to take advantage of a weakened Liverpool it's now, but derbies rarely follow form...

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport

The Merseyside derby is supposedly the one where families go to the game together, some in red shirts, others in blue... but I could only find one example outside Anfield today - Liverpool fan Barry Griffiths and his Everton supporting step-son Flynn from Cardiff.

This is their first derby together, and Flynn's first Everton game full-stop, although Barry did bring him to Anfield last season to watch the Reds get beaten by Southampton.

"I had been up here 16 times before and never seen us lose," says Barry. Flynn is hoping for a similar outcome today.

We asked you to pick from our eight magic FA Cup goals so far and 56% of you chose Steven Gerrard's dramatic last-gasp equaliser for Liverpool against West Ham in the 2006 final.

We are picking 50 great goals in the run-up to the first round and you can watch the eight we've revealed so far here if you are in the UK.

Football Focus BBC Sport
Football Focus

As ever, you can start your weekend off with Football Focus on BBC One at 12:10 BST. This week on the show, there are interviews with Everton winger Aiden McGeady, West Brom boss Alan Irvine and former Manchester United defender Phil Neville on Salford City.

Get watching (in the nicest possible way, of course).

Just been told Tony Hibbert's first start since playing against Manchester City on 1 December 2012. Only the big games for Tony, eh.

Since becoming a professional with the Goodison Park club in March 2001, he has yet to score in a competitive game in 320 outings. What a day it would be to break that record.

Image source, Getty Images

Our great FA Cup vote is finished. Results will be with you shortly.

Dan in Chiswick: Nothing will beat Blues stuffing Villa 3-0 at St Andrews in our first season in the Premier League, thanks to Peter Enckelman's own-goal!

Ollie from Bristol: My best derby day was the day West Brom tore Wolves apart 5-1. That was the day they lost hope of staying up, and effectively the day Mick McCarthy got fired. Ah, good times!

Jonny in Bradford: It has to be the Bradford v Leeds game this season! 0-0 and nearing extra time, Leeds scored to break City hearts, then we came back and shut the Leeds fans up with two goals in three minutes. Only in a derby do you have that passion and emotion!

Kevin Kilbane is a veteran of Merseyside, North East, Black Country and Lancashire derbies, having played for Everton, Sunderland, West Brom and Preston North End in his career.

The former Republic of Ireland full-back is travelling to both derbies today, producing a film for tomorrow's Match of the Day 2.

It promises to be a busy Saturday for Kevin - you can follow his exploits by using the hashtag #2derbiesinaday, external on Twitter.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, speaking to BT Sport: "We need a reaction. The start of the season has not been good enough and we need to get that intensity back when we don't have the ball and try to score early and get the crowd behind us. If you can't get yourself up for a derby game at Anfield, you're in the wrong game so I hope the lads don't need much rallying."

Sir William Blizzard:, external Simply put, a must win game for Liverpool today and a performance needed too. Time to deliver a big game Mr Ballotelli!

Ben Franklin:, external Hoping Liverpool stick to a diamond today, with Adam Lallana alongside Jordan Henderson and Lazar Markovic behind Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli.

John Pierce:, external Hibbo plays, could it happen? Surely not... Remember, if he scores the internet will break...

Liverpool start with Lazar Markovic, Mario Balotelli and Adam Lallana but there's no Daniel Sturridge in the squad.

Everton are without right-back Seamus Coleman so Tony Hibbert starts in his place. They have Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku up front as Muhamed Besic also starts.

Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Manquillo, Moreno, Lovren, Skrtel, Gerrard, Henderson, Markovic, Lallana, Sterling, Balotelli

Everton XI: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Stones, Barry, McCarthy, Besic, Mirallas, Naismith, Lukaku

Dom in London: My first derby memory would be sitting fairly satisfied with a 1-0 half time lead against Newcastle, before leaving a dejected Stadium of Light to a 1-4 final score. Michael Chopra even managed to get in on the scoring. The tide has thankfully turned somewhat since.

Sean from Swindon: Port Vale v Stoke, 12th March 1996. Ian Bogie scores for Vale after 12 seconds, and we hold on comfortably for 90 minutes to win 1-0.

The defences of Liverpool and Everton have been as safe as a 50p padlock so far this season.

You wouldn't have thought the Toffees would have conceded the most goals in the Premier League to date but they have - letting in 13 in just five games.

Liverpool haven't been faring much better, they have shipped eight in five. There have to be goals at Anfield today then doesn't there?