Brilliant save from Giorgi Mamardashvili!

Everton swing in a cross from the left, Beto gets across the front post and flicks it goalwards but the Liverpool goalkeeper dives to his left to make a superb stop.

Zian Flemming earns Burnley a first corner of the game as his cross deflects behind.

James Ward-Prowse swings it in, but Forest are able to clear the ball away to safety.

Rachel Corsie
Former Scotland captain on BBC Radio 5 Live

They've just carried on from Thursday night, it's a wonderful team goal.

Everton win a free-kick on the halfway line and waste no time sending the big centre-backs on.

The ball is launched forward but James Tarkowski's flick on goes harmless behind for a goal kick.

The home side have an early free-kick in the Burnley half after a foul from Quilindschy Hartman.

Pat Nevin
Former Everton winger on BBC Radio 5 Live at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Mo Salah might not have had the greatest season in his career but he is still to be feared if you are playing against him.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool quickly on the front foot with Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz combining on the right before Everton get the ball clear.

One thing to note early is that Curtis Jones has started at right-back with Dominik Szoboszlai alongside Ryan Gravenberch in central midfield.

Rachel Corsie
Former Scotland captain on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's at that stage of the season where both teams can enjoy where they're at. Sunderland are very much in a strong position. Three points today would incredibly put them close to the Champions League spots.

Villa will want to continue the form they've already had, especially off the back of their progression in the Europa League.

Pat Nevin
Former Everton winger on BBC Radio 5 Live at Hill Dickinson Stadium

This is as important to Liverpool as it is to Everton.

If they win today, they will have a big gap to Chelsea and those other sides so incredibly important for both sides today.

Off we go! Under way at Hill Dickinson, Villa Park and the City Ground.

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson has laid flowers and a shirt in the centre circle in tribute to his mum, who passed away earlier this week.

The City Ground observes a minute’s applause.

Kick-off is just a few moments away so here is a quick reminder of the two XIs for the Merseyside derby...

Image source, BBC/ Opta

Image source, BBC/ Opta

Rachel Corsie
Former Scotland captain on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think there's every incentive and every intention that Villa will want to finish as high up the league as they can and going and win a European trophy. There's been this additional pressure as the European fixtures have come in.

I think there's very much a feeling around the club that they want to finish within in the top five, do their absolute best to hunt down Man United and of course this club want to lift a trophy.

Jack Grealish is only on loan at Everton and his season has effectively been ended by injury but the midfielder is at the Hill Dickinson today to support David Moyes and his side.

The home fans have joined unveiled a tifo that features The Beatles amongst other things and the siren has just sounded.

Z-Cars starts up and here come the players...

Julien Laurens
ESPN journalist on BBC Radio 5 Live

Let's see what Alexander Isak can bring to the team.

Although the Chelsea defeat yesterday helps them massively, it is the likes of Mohamed Salah and Isak who will have to carry this team to a top five finish now.

The rest is not that great, the defence is not that great, the midfield is not that great.

If Liverpool don't qualify for Champions League football, it will be a disaster for them on every single level.

I think they will finish top five or top six but also because the others around haven't been that great.

Victory for Everton would see them hit the 50-point mark in a Premier League season for the first time since 2020-21 under Carlo Ancelotti (59).

However, having won six of their first 15 Premier League meetings with Liverpool between 1992 and 1999 (40% - D6 L3), Everton have won just five of their last 52 league Merseyside derbies since the start of 2000 (9.6% - D20 L27).

Defeat for Liverpool, meanwhile, would see them lose more than 10 games in a season for the first time since 2014-15 (12), while it would be the most by a reigning champion since Leicester lost 18 in 2016-17.

The Reds have won their last two league games against Everton, though both have come at Anfield. They last won three consecutive league Merseyside derbies between April 2016 and April 2017.

Aadam Patel
Football Reporter at the Hill Dickinson Stadium

As David Moyes says in his programme notes: "We may not be across the park any more but Liverpool are still our city rivals and we all know that today will be a tense encounter."

The scenes at the bus welcome earlier were an indication of the kind of atmosphere we can expect this afternoon. It's about bragging rights, of course, but Everton would also go just two points behind Liverpool with victory.

You have to go back to 2021 for the last time Liverpool beat Everton away from home. Win today and Arne Slot's side will take a huge step to securing Champions League qualification for next season.

The Guardian's Louise Taylor believes Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs would "benefit" from staying at the club for "another couple of years", rather than move away and risk his career stalling.

The 23-year-old, signed from Dutch side NEC last summer, has been one of the Black Cats' standout performers this season, keeping nine Premier League clean sheets so far as Regis Le Bris' side look to finish in the top half in their first season back in the top flight after promotion.

Unsurprisingly, his excellent form has led to links with other clubs.

Listen to more from Louise Taylor and former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini discuss the decision facing the club's young stars linked with moves away this summer below:

Image source, Getty Images

It is fair to say this season has not gone to plan for Liverpool and part of that has been big money signings not living up to their billing.

Florian Wirtz arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee that could rise to £116m but has managed only four goals and three assists in the league so far.

However, only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (75) has created more chances in open play in the Premier League this season than Wirtz (50).

He’s the first Reds player to create 50+ open play chances in his first league season with the club since Mohamed Salah in 2017-18 (53).

While the German will hope to kick on again next season - and in what remains of this - that stat tallies with my impression that, on the whole, his performances have been much better than the output would suggest.