Final, 2-0 Liverpool: The Reds get back to winning ways against their local rivals. The soaring temperatures and the man advantage wore down the hosts in the end. It was only a matter of time before Liverpool scored and it happened in the end — twice. It's Liverpool's first win over their neighbors since February 2010.
92nd minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Kuyt hits the post, as Everton's defense has decided to call it a day.
88th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Henderson comes on for mop-up duty, as bottles and other objects rain down on Bellamy as he gets set to take the corner kick. The game has been played out in the right spirit. Let's hope it ends that way.
87th minute, 2-0 Liverpool: The Reds look to have this one wrapped up. Everton doesn't have the energy, ideas or quality to reverse this lead. Baines and Saha shoot from distance but they pose little problem for Reina. The real question is whether Liverpool will be able to keep a clean sheet for the first time in ages.
82nd minute, 2-0 Liverpool: Luis Suarez capitalizes on an awful mistake by Distin. The defender's attempted clearance hits Suarez in the chest. It falls comfortably to Suarez's feet and the Uruguayan obliges by slotting it underneath Carroll from eight yards out. Howard had no chance.
79th minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Velios on for Hibbert, as Moyes removes a defender for an extra attacker. The goal seems to have deflated the hosts. Their heads are dropping and they're not applying the same pressure to Liverpool as they were 10-15 minutes ago.
71st minute, 1-0 Liverpool: Goal! The devestating effect of Craig Bellamy's pace rears its lovely head for Liverpool. The Welshman counters down the left and fed it ahead to the overlapping Enrique. The fullback took it to the byline and reversed it to Carroll, who was standing at the spot. The burly forward finishes cleanly, putting the Reds in the lead.
69th minute, 0-0: The experienced Phil Neville comes on for Osman. Looks like he'll sit in the holding role behind (or alongside) Fellaini.
67th minute, 0-0: Gerrard comes on for Adam. Bellamy enters for the ineffective Downing. Drive and pace could unsettle the compact Everton defense.
61st minute, 0-0: Saha has acres of space 30 yards from goal, as Carragher and Skrtel drop off the Frenchman. He fires his shot just wide of Reina's goal.
59th minute, 0-0: Drenthe comes on for Everton. The on-loan Madrid player arrived at Goodison without his dreads.
57th minute, 0-0: The heat is starting to take its toll on this game and its stars. Liverpool isn't attacking with any pace.
55th minute, 0-0: Carroll with another header from another corner. This one saved by Howard.
53rd minute, 0-0: Carroll's header is cleared off the line by Saha. There he is.
49th minute, 0-0: Lucas booked for a late challenge from behind.
46th minute, 0-0: Howard is asking for the baseball cap, standing in the sunny end of Goodison. Please, please, please don't let it be a Yankees hat.
Halftime, 0-0: There were talking points galore in the first 45 minutes. Rodwell's red was harsh. The penalty given for the foul on Suarez as Jagielka was bamboozled by the Pistol's turn (Wenger was right not to drop close to £20 million on him). Kuyt is Liverpool's penalty taker in Gerrard's absence, but should he have taken this one given his recent lack of playing time? And where was Andy Carroll in the first half? Did the heat affect him more than others?
45th minute +3, 0-0: Adam crashes a shot off the underside of the bar. He hits a hard one with his left foot to the far corner. This one seemes like the game might explode, but alas, Atkinson whistles for halftime.
44th minute, 0-0: Kuyt always scores against Everton, doesn't he? He prefers power over placement and the agile Howard dives well to his left. Kuyt's return to the starting 11 has been underwhelming thus far. He's spent far too much time along the touchline and hasn't shown much of his trademark energy.
43rd minute, 0-0: Penalty Jagielka fouls Suarez, as the Uruguayan turns inside the corner of the area. It's Kuyt taking the penalty and Howard rescues the blues! Chants of "USA" ringing around Goodison.
39th minute, 0-0: Charlie Adam fouls Osman in the midfield and escapes sans yellow card. How does Atkinson send off Rodwell and not punish Adam with a yellow even though the Scot kicked his leg out during the follow-through? Aktinson has to apply the same standard throughout the match — harsh as it may be.
38th minute, 0-0: Lucas is mugged 30 yards from the Everton goal, winning a free kick, which is wasted by Adam. Liverpool needs a bit more quality in the final third. Andy Carroll is having no impact on the game. This derby could use 45 minutes of Steve Gerrard.
33rd minute, 0-0: Suarez fires just wide of Howard's near post. LFC taking some control of the game against their 10-man rivals. Everton sitting deeper allowing Liverpool to build attacks in the midfield without much for resistance. Only Saha up front for Everton. Cahill has dropped into the midfield. He won't score any headers from there.
25th minute, 0-0: Rodwell is in a rage, and Moyes sent a staffer into the locker room to make sure the young midfielder doesn't destroy the plasma TV in the locker room. They certainly can't afford to replace it at this moment in time.
23rd minute, 0-0: Flashpoint. Rodwell is sent off in his first EPL Merseyside derby start. His sliding tackle wins the loose ball in the midfield and his studs-up follow through catches Suarez. The Uruguayan jumps to avoid the worst of the contact, but referee Martin Atkinson doesn't care. He sends off Everton's 20 year-old midfield star. It's a very harsh red card. We can only hope Atkinson hasn't spoiled the game with this one.
21st minute, 0-0: Liverpool doing much of its attacking down the right and not getting much of anything from it. Kuyt and Kelly haven't linked, nor is there any overlap. The Reds are much more secured and settled on the left, with Enrique and Downing. Hibbert, Everton's right back, is a vulnerable target.
16th minute, 0-0: After a quarter-hour, Liverpool has not gained much in the way of possession, momentum or rhythmn. It's still early, but Everton has shown much more menace and attacking intent.
11th minute, 0-0: Distin tricks and turns Carragher and fires his shot over. Everton has created more quality chances in the early goings.
Ninth minute, 0-0: Suarez hits a point-blank header right at Howard. Cahill responds with a header of his own that Reina parries over the bar. End-to-end action on offer at Goodison makes us glad we woke up so early to watch.
Sixth minute, 0-0: Tackles flying in from all angles. Rodwell Carroll and Carragher have all sent opposing players flying in the last minute or so. Typical derby stuff that the referree lets pass without yellow.
Third minute, 0-0: Fellanini has the first shot on goal after a bit of confusion in the back. All eyes on the LFC duo of Skrtel and Carragher. Is this the best pairing Dalglish has got in the middle? Results will tell.
Pregame: It's hot out there. Temps are reportedly in the high 80s and it could be the hottest October day on record in England.
Also, it's Merseyside derby debuts for Suarez and Carroll. How well they link pair will determine Liverpool's fate (for better or for worse) today and into the great beyond.
Carragher and Skrtel face a challenge as Cahill has returned from injury and Saha from perceived exile.
We've also got our eyes set on the central duo for Everton. Moyes has settled on young Rodwell and the Belgian Fellaini. Lucas and Adam will face energy, steel and a bit of class in the blue pair.
It's a recall for Kuyt. Good move by Kenny Dalglish, as the Dutchman is a near certainty to score against Everton — or so it seems. He's scored five goals against his blue rivals, including three times in his last three EPL Merseyside derbies.
7 a.m. ET: Here are the lineups
Liverpool
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Martin Kelly (34), right back
Jamie Carragher (23), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jose Enrique (38), left back
Charlie Adam (26), midfielder
Lucas (21), midfielder
Stuart Downing (19), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), midfielder
Andy Carroll (9), forward
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Substitutes
Doni (32), goalkeeper
John Flanagan (38), defender
Sebastian Coates(16), defender
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Steve Gerrard (8), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Craig Bellamy (39), forward
Everton
Tim Howard (24), goalkeeper
Tony Hibbert (2), right back
Phil Jagielka (6), center back
Silvin Distin (15), center back
Leighton Baines (3), left back
Seamus Coleman (23), midfield
Jack Rodwell (26), midfield
Marouane Fellaini (25), midfield
Leon Osman (21), midfield
Tim Cahill (17), forward
Louis Saha (8), striker
Subs
Jan Mucha (1), goalkeeper
Apostolos Velios (27), striker
Phil Neville (18), midfielder
Ross Barkley (20), midfielder
Royston Drenthe (10), midfielder
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (7), forward
Denis Stracqualursi (11), striker
12 a.m. ET: When local rivals Liverpool and Everton meet, you can disregard things like form, record, standings and all the like. Don't bother with predictions. What matters is what team responds to the pressure of the occasion and out-performs their opponent.
Manager Kenny Dalglish and his reinvented Liverpool squad head to Everton's Goodison Park and both teams are looking at the match as a statement of intent with the season at such an early point. Last year, Everton won the corresponding game 2-0, but Liverpool was in a period of historic instability both on and off the field. A lot has changed since then.
For Liverpool, a win at its city rivals will keep it in sight of the league leading duo of Manchester clubs. Everton sits in 11th place after five games and is hoping to build some momentum in the league after an indifferent start to the season.
Dalglish has a welcome selection headache to consider. Captain Steve Gerrard is two games into his comeback and will merit increased playing time. It is unclear if he will start the game, but his minutes will come at the expense of one of the early season mainstays of Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing or Jordan Henderson. Dirk Kuyt is also in line for a return to the starting lineup.
Everton manager David Moyes has settled on defensive and midfield units, but has nothing but question marks in the attack. With Tim Cahill a serious doubt due to an injury suffered last week, Moyes could pick out of favor striker Louis Saha in the attack. Just a few weeks ago, the player seemed to be on his way out of the club. Things sure do change quickly in this game.
Join us Saturday at 7:45 a.m. ET, as red meets blue with local bragging rights and precious league points on the line.
