Something For The Weekend: Liverpool vs Everton

Last weekend's defeat at Old Trafford ensured that Liverpool's wafer-slim hopes of being involved in the title race are at an end, so this weekend is now a crucial one for their more realistic hopes of salvaging something from another disappointing league campaign. In many ways it is also the best possible fixture for them to put their frustrations behind them and get their season back on track in time for the resumption of Champions League football.

Of course, their opponents are neighbours Everton, who also happen to be their closest rivals for the fourth Champions League slot, with just two points between the Merseyside clubs and a big drop of seven points before sixth-placed Portsmouth. That means that it is almost certainly between these two to decide who will finish in fourth place, and this clash at Anfield will go a long way to deciding which of them comes out in top.

In 2005, Everton pipped Liverpool to it, though their achievement was rather overshadowed a week or so later when the Reds won the Champions League, while qualification did the Toffees little good as they crashed out almost before the following season started, and it took them the best part of a year to fully recover. They are back and challenging again now though and will fancy their chances of winning at Anfield for the first time since September 1999.

They have only won twice in 16 derby matches since that day, while they have had a frustrating time in recent weeks, with a UEFA Cup exit followed by a defeat and a draw in the league.