Image source, Burnley fc

Burnley FC on Twitter:, external There will be a period of silence for our fallen ahead of kick-off today. #WeWillRememberThem

A minute's silence envelops Anfield, as it will at all football matches this afternoon. Poppies everywhere you look, on the shirts, on flags and on banners.

Image source, Getty Images

Bryan Cooper:, external Tuesday: Brendan Rodgers lambasted for picking reserves like Fabio Borini and Kolo Toure. Saturday: Lambasted for not picking Borini and Toure.

Brian O'Donovan:, external Steven Gerrard will never be a natural defensive midfielder. Compare him and Nemanja Matic today. Chelsea to win 2-0.

The players are out at Anfield, flanked by an enormous poppy and members of the armed services. Almost game time.

As if we in the media haven't mentioned it enough, you can't even escape Steven Gerrard's lapse if you steer away from the football.

Image source, Channel 4

Chelsea fans, and Manchester City fans, have reason to have a flutter this afternoon. Liverpool fans have reason to get angry.

Running at the 12:40 at Doncaster, just five minutes before kick-off at Anfield, is this nag. Number seven.

Gerrard's Slip...

The delivery of Derby's Real Madrid loanee Omar Mascarell has caused the Wolves defence problems, and after Ryan Shotton's earlier warning from a header over the bar, the on-loan Stoke defender makes it count this time, with a header that just evades the reaches of Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme.

Derby would leap from fourth to top of the table with a win here today ahead of the three o'clock kick-offs.

Bill Kenny: I wonder who Brendan will pick today, since apparently he is picking players based on current form? Stevie G shouldn't see the pitch if that's the case.

Chris Jones: yet another game where Gerrard will get found out.

Abubakar Douglas: Chelsea will take it by two goals but it will be tight for the first 60 minutes.

Image source, Getty Images

"It's a new league, a new life, I'm loving it" says Chelsea striker Diego Costa as he continues his warm-up at Anfield. Can Liverpool stop him? He was brilliant last time he was in the city, scoring twice in a 6-3 win at Everton. He could put Dejan Lovren into a world of pain...

Can Gareth Bale ever be that good?

Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale
Football Focus

"I'm improving all the time and trying to get to the level Cristiano Ronaldo is at. The amount of goals he scores and what he does for the team is incredible. Nobody is living up to that at the moment. At the moment he's on another level to everyone else.

Image source, Reuters

"By seeing him in training and in games it gives me that kind of platform to aim for and keep improving, and hopefully one day I can get there."

You can read more from Football Focus's interview with Gareth here.

This morning we have been working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you: What are the strangest substitutions you've witnessed or been involved in?

Kev:, external Once during our team's Sunday League match the opposition keeper was subbed off because his car was on fire!

Christopher Sawford:, external Scored a 35-yard volley whilst running. My best goal ever. Carried on running, got my bag and ran home. Gaffer had to sub me!

Max Ambrose:, external On the bench for the first time ever in a pre-season game, nagged boss to get me on and five minutes later I scored from halfway line.

Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, text us on 81111 (UK only) or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ page., external

Injured striker Daniel Sturridge is suited and booted. "It's the worst feeling in football" is how he sums up his spell on the sidelines.

He also says that he will be ready for Liverpool's first game after the international break. A massive, massive boost for his side.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Anfield

"Kolo Toure received a polite - and probably sympathetic - round of applause from Liverpool's fans as he left the pitch after his warm-up. Harshly dropped after performing so well in Madrid.

"This could also be a tale of two strikers here today. Chelsea solved their striking problems from last season by paying £32m to Atletico Madrid for Diego Costa while Liverpool gambled £16m on Mario Balotelli as part of the plan to replace Luis Suarez. Costa has been an unqualified success while Balotelli has yet to score a league goal."

It could be all about the start - and the end - of today's game.

Chelsea have netted four goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season, more than any other team in the top flight.

But half of the Premier League goals Chelsea have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes of matches.

Football Focus

Get Focussed you lot.

Live from the seaside. It looks very, very choppy...

Live now on BBC One and on this page.

The FA Cup
Live on the BBC

Image source, Getty Images

While our focus here will be on the Premier League, the FA Cup first round is continuing elsewhere, with a monstrous 27 games kicking-off up and down the country at 15:00 GMT.

Last night Warrington Town of the Northern Premier Division One stunned League Two Exeter City in their first ever FA Cup first-round game.

Will we have anymore Cupsets today?

For all of the build-up and views ahead of kick-off, Football Focus with Dan Walker has just begun on BBC Two live from Weston-Super-Mare, and you can supplement all your FA Cup needs with our online live text here.

Game on in the midlands...

If Liverpool are going to get a result today, they will have to stop Cesc Fabregas. The chance creator, the difference maker, the artist who gilds Chelsea's play with the final touch.

Fabregas already has nine assists in the Premier League. Only four players set up more goals in the whole of last season's Premier League than Fabregas has created this term (Gerrard 13, Suarez 12, Lambert 10 and Rooney 10).

Extraordinary.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers: "Chelsea have made changes too from midweek, it's been made a big deal that we did the same. I've shown the trust within our group this week. We put in a performance in Madrid and we didn't get the result.

"A win today would reignite our season. The one thing you can say about our players is that we are very committed to how we are playing.

"Steven Gerrard has been very influential in my time here and his slip last season was one of those things."

Image source, AP

This morning we have been working in tandem with The Danny Baker Show on BBC Radio 5 live and asking you: What are the strangest substitutions you've witnessed or been involved in?

Naz:, external One of my team-mates had to be subbed after five minutes as he'd waxed his hair before the game and it was running into his eyes!

Adam Horton, external: My team's goalkeeper got subbed for making a daisy chain while the other team scored. We were about nine.

Abhishek:, external Thought I wouldn't be playing and went to see a movie. Boss calls halfway into movie. Was put on as a sub as I rushed back. Scored a goal.

Get involved using #bbcfootball, external on Twitter, text us on 81111 (UK only) or post a comment on the BBC Sport Facebook, external or Google+ page., external