Everton v Liverpool: Premier League – live!

23 min Time for a drinks break. It’s been a quiet first quarter.

21 min “With his new lockdown beard, Mike Dean is beginning to look like Robert Stewart, isn’t he?” says Rotimi Styles Obisesan.

Do you mean the son of James V, or is there another Robert Stewart?

17 min Henderson and Alexander-Arnold are starting to look dangerous down the Liverpool right. Alexander-Arnold’s delivery has been a bit rusty so far but he is getting into some dangerous positions.

12 min Richarlison is penalised for a challenge on Fabinho, 30 yards from goal. The free-kick is slightly to the right of centre. Alexander-Arnold decides to cross rather than shoot, but clips it straight out of play. That was unusually imprecise for him.

10 min Gordon loses the ball to Fabinho in the centre circle. Mane picks up the loose ball and finds Minamino, who moves forward and blooters a rising drive from 25 yards that flies a few yards wide.

7 min It’s been a decent start from Everton. Liverpool haven’t come out of the blocks as many of us expected, unless you count Sadio Mane’s sprint before the kick-off.

4 min The first half chance goes to Everton. Richarlison runs at Matip on the left side of the area and drives a low cross shot that whistles just wide of the far post. The ball stayed in play, curling back after it beat Alisson, but at one point it looked like it was going in the bottom corner.

3 min “Hi Rob!” says Mary Waltz. “Please excuse some of my fellow Everton fans. Consider the beaten dog. we have been down so long that many of us tend to be a tad sensitive. We are hyper aware of any potential sleight. especially when Liverpool is involved. Come on you blues.”

What is Everton?

2 min Anthony Gordon has started on the left, with Iwobi on the right.

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool kick off from left to right. They are in red. The other team, I forget their name, are in blue.

The players on both sides take a knee before the game. I think Sadio Mane forgot, because he started sprinting into the Everton half as if they had just kicked off.

“After a couple of days of warm-ups, Real Football is about to start again,” says Matt Dony. “Yes, we’ve enjoyed Foals on the Park Stage, but The Cure are warming up, about to take to the Pyramid Stage. Of course, football doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but as we are going to finish the season, I’m very, very excited to see Liverpool in action again. The extended break came at a useful time. After the insane first half of the season (which I can still hardly believe!) results had tailed off slightly. I just hope the last few months have helped everyone to relax and regain some focus. And I’ve got high hopes for Minamino. He seems well liked, he’s got bags of potential, but he’s stepping into some big ol’ shoes. Hoping for a great game!”

I agree about the value of the break for Liverpool, mentally as well as physically. I think they’ll smash every record going now, which I don’t think they would have done had the season continued as normal.

“Hi Rob,” says Ray Breen. “I saw the pic of the kids holding the Liverpool flag by the Goodison sign and your one-sided report. Why don’t you leave the reporting to the professionals who avoid bias and have the knowledge to know there are two teams in a football match.”

Well that’s a good start!

“Hi Rob,” says Matt Burtz. “I finally get to write to you as a supporter of one of the teams involved, Everton. Of course I’m aware of their dismal recent record against Liverpool, but I just want to point out that Liverpool have only won at Goodison Park once in their last seven visits (and that win required a 94th-minute goal), with six draws thrown in there. The absence of a vociferous and partisan crowd will certainly be a disadvantage for Everton, but those predicting a Liverpool walkover might be mistaken.”

That’s a good point, and one that surprised me a little. Mind you, there’s a counter-stat: the last time Liverpool lost to Everton, Roy Hodgson was their manager. That was forever ago.

Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Aston Villa in the earlier game, a result that puts them five points clear of Manchester United and Wolves.

The teenager Anthony Gordon makes his full Premier League debut for Everton, who also have two goalkeepers on the bench. There’s no Andy Robertson for Liverpool, while Mo Salah is only fit enough to be a sub. Takumi Minamino starts up front alongside Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Everton (4-4-2) Pickford; Coleman, Holgate, Keane, Digne; Iwobi, Gomes, Davies, Gordon; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Stekelenburg, Virginia, Baines, Martina, Brathwaite, Sigurdsson, Baningime, Bernard, Kean.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Milner; Henderson, Fabinho, Keita; Minamino, Firmino, Mane.
Substitutes: Adrian, Lovren, Gomez, Williams, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Elliott, Salah, Origi.

Referee Mike Dean.

Hello. The good news for Everton is that Liverpool can’t clinch the title at Goodison Park tonight. The bad news is that they still have to play Liverpool. They will approach the match with a fair bit of trepidation, especially as they were beaten by Liverpool Under-4s in the FA Cup. But they will also go into the game with the hope that they can pull off a symbolic victory and delay Liverpool’s party.

Liverpool need six points – either for themselves or the teams playing against Manchester City – to officially become champions for the first time since 1990. It could be over by tomorrow night, when Burnley go to the Etihad, but the likeliest scenario is that they will clinch it against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday. That’s if they win today, of course. Everton will have other ideas.

Kick off 7pm.