Abby Brammell

Last time out: Javier Mascherano celebrated opening goal at Goodison in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Everton when the sides met earlier this season


Good afternoon and welcome to one what promises to be full of drama, starting at Anfield for the mouth-watering Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.
Later this evening, we'll bring you all the action from White Hart Lane as high-flying Tottenham host fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa in today's other glamour clash.

And at 3pm, stay with us as Manchester United hope to takeover at the top when the entertain struggling Portsmouth and all the goals from the remaining five all-important games.

13.32: Four minutes of added time to bring this fiesty first 45 to a close. Apparently both teams are taking reservations on the treatment tables... I know I need a lie down!

13.31: So close from Gerrard as his looping free-kick beats Howard but cannons off of the the top of the crossbar.

13.30: Clever play from Gerrard to win a free-kick from favourable distance. The captain suckers Cahill to bringing him down and he'll fancy his chances from here...

13.27: Arteta is now on for the injured Fellaini who can barely manage a limp but Kyrgiakos has done himself damage with the defender receiving stitches for his sin.

13.24: Horror tackles aside, there has been some neat passages of play more so from the visitors. Louis Saha strays just offside, however, from Phil Neville's searching pass forward which could have proved interesting. 0-0 it remains as this non-stop action half edges towards a close.

13.23: Liverpool reduced to ten men and Mikel Arteta gets stripped on the touchline ready to replace Fellaini who appears to have played his last part in this explosive derby.

13.18: RED CARD Martin Atkinson may not have dished out a red card in his last 22 Premier League games but he really has no option here not to send Kyrgiakos off. The Greek defender jumps in two footed on Fellaini and the paramedics have stretchered the midfielder off the field. This has been simmering from the get-go. Awful.

13.15: Pienaar can count himself extremely lucky to stay on the pitch after what was a shocking foul on Mascherano. The Argentine winces in agony like he has been pummeled by a wild bear but to be fair it was a potential leg breaker. And right in front of the referee. Carragher follows in the book moments later with a needless tackle from behind on the South African.

13.14: Four corner apiece now as but Gerrard's cross is once again well matched by Fellain's head to .
13.11: Not long now before this erupts into a 22-man brawl as this intense affair begins to get nasty. Moments after Baines leaves Ngong on the canvass, Kuyt takes two harsh blows; the first from Pienaar floors him but the second from Fellaini was particularly unsavoury as the belgian boots the ball into the Dutchman's face.

13.08: Reina is exposed for his weakness coming for crosses as he attempts to punch clear but totally misses it. Fortunately for him the ball is cleared to safety.

13.06: A loose ball from Kyrgiakos gifts Lanodn Donovan possession and the American's excellent surge towards goal in cynically stopped by Kuyt, 25 yards from goal. The Dutchman is booked and reina is forced to divert Baines' free-kick over the bar for a corner.

13.03: Shouts of handball from the Kop as Kuyt's woeful body crashes off of Osman. Atkinson rightly ignores.

13.02: Good pressure on the halfway line from Louis Saha to steal possession but Liverpool defend and counter quickly but striker David Ngog can't get the ball out of his feet in time to muster a decent attack.

13.01: Lucas thunders a shot from the edge of the box out for quick successive Liverpool corner but it fails to trouble the Everton backline.

12.59: Unlucky from Agger as the Danish defender hangs over a looping Gerrard cross and skies it over the crossbar.

12.58: Both sides are really up for this today. Full-bloodied challenges for every ball, three points are everything in this fixture. A third Everton corner cleared again.

12.55: Javier Mascherano gets a ticking off from Martin Atkinson after flooring Fellaini with a wild lunge. Could have quite easily been a booking but the referee does well to keep his cards in his pocket.

12.53: I wouldn't be surprised to see the pitch marked off with three ropes on all four sides in the next few minutes as Tim Cahill goes head-to-head with Lucas. Seconds out...

12.49: End to end drama within the opening three minutes as Phil Neville clatters into Steven Gerrard on the left-side of the edge of Everton's area. Howard manages to punch Gearrd's dangerous inswinging delivery clear though.

12.48: Just a minute in and Everton have won two corners, Leon Osman going close from the first. The second, again whipped over by Landon Donovan, troubles Pepe Reina in the air but Atkinson spares the Spaniard a humiliating start awarding a fortuitous free-kick to the keeper.

12.45: We're underway and boy does Steven Pienaar know it! Barely ten seconds in and Jamie Carragher crashes into the Everton midfielder. Game on!

12.44: Almost ready to go on Merseyside with Martin Atkinson the man charged in the middle to handle this pressure cooker in what is Everton boss David Moyes's 600th game as a manager. Separated by nine points in the table, fifth place Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four at Anfield while Everton are also enjoying a purple patch of their own, ninth with no defeats in nine.

12.43: The two captains Steven Gerrard and Phil Neville lead their sides out for what always proves to be one of the biggest games of the season to a typically hostile Anfield atmosphere. No other fixture in the Premier League's history has seen more red cards (17 in total) so expect fireworks, folks.

12.40: Team news from Anfield...
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Agger, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Maxi, Ngog.
Subs: Cavalieri, Aquilani, Riera, Aurelio, Babel, Degen, Skrtel.
Everton: Howard, Neville, Distin, Heitinga, Baines, Fellaini, Donovan, Osman, Cahill, Pienaar, Saha.
Subs: Nash, Bilyaletdinov, Arteta, Yakubu, Senderos, Anichebe, Coleman.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)


source: dailymail