Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield. English top-flight action resumes following a two-week break with a nicely set-up match on Merseyside, pitting together two teams who were in decent form heading into that short hiatus - the 228th time they have faced off.

The Toffees are very much the in-form team since the turn of the year, topping the table in terms of Premier League fixtures played so far in 2017 - just ahead of Chelsea, who lead the real thing. It has been a disappointing opening few months to the calendar year for opponents Liverpool, meanwhile, who endured a real torrid time before recovering in March to just about get themselves back on track. Seven points from nine prior to the break leaves them in a strong position to push on, though, and they can strengthen their hold on fourth this afternoon.

TEAM NEWS!

LIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Matip, Lovren, Milner; Lucas, Can, Wijnaldum; Mane, Coutinho, Firmino

EVERTON XI: Robles; Williams, Jagielka, Pennington; Holgate, Gueye, Davies, Baines; Barkley, Calvert-Lewin; Lukaku

Starting with a look at the home team news, manager Jurgen Klopp has made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 against Manchester City a couple of weeks ago. Lucas Leiva is handed a start in midfield, taking the place of injured teammate Adam Lallana, while Dejan Lovren makes a welcome return to the heart of defence as Ragnar Klavan drops out. Klopp has had to contend with a few injury issues in the build-up to this match, with Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson joining Lallana on the sidelines.

The inclusion of Lucas in midfield may not fill Reds supporters with all that much confidence, particularly considering he was reportedly on the brink of being forced out in January, but it does provide the hosts with a little added protection in front of the back four - a back four that is boosted by the return of Lovren. Plenty of creativity further up the pitch, which I will touch upon in a moment, but there will be added pressure on Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can to make something happen from deep today.

No doubt that Liverpool's strong point is high up the field, where Sadio Mane is joined by Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino once again. The latter two were minor doubts due to their exploits with Brazil in the past couple of weeks, having only returned via private jet on Thursday. It remains to be seen just how fit they are for this early kickoff, but there is no disputing their quality. That said, Coutinho has just one goal and one assist since the turn of the year - stats that need improving.

In terms of the visitors, Ronald Koeman has made a big call by naming Matthew Pennington in his side for the first time this season in the Premier League. Another youngster, Mason Holgate, also comes into the starting lineup, taking the places of Seamus Coleman and Gareth Barry. Coleman is of course unlikely to return to action until the very end of this year at the earliest following his horror leg break last week, while Barry could still be involved today as he is among the subs.

Another absentee for Everton this afternoon - and indeed for the remainder of the season - is central defender Ramiro Funes Mori, so Phil Jagielka, Ashley Williams and Holgate will make up the three-man backline. Pennington will take up a position on the opposite flank to Leighton Baines, meanwhile, in what is a 3-4-3 formation named by Koeman. There is no Morgan Schneiderlin due to injury picked up against Hull City last time out - a major blow for the visitors.

Further up the field, Ross Barkley retains his place in a three-man forward line alongside man of the moment Romelu Lukaku and youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Barkley has created 67 chances so far this season for his teammates; more than any other English player. Lukaku, meanwhile, tops the Premier League scoring charts and has also scored five career goals against Liverpool in the past, but just once here at Anfield. Ten of the Belgian's goals this term have come in the 80th minute of a game or later.

BENCH WATCH!

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Woodburn, Klavan, Origi

EVERTON SUBS: Stekelenburg, Kenny, Barry, Lookman, Mirallas, Valencia, Kone

Joel Robles starts in goals for Everton for the 13th match running, stretching back to the reverse meeting between these two sides in December, meaning that Maarten Stekelenburg must again settle for a back-up role. Enner Valencia, Arouna Kone, Kevin Mirallas and Ademola Lookman are also included on an attacking-minded bench for the visitors, while Jonjoe Kenny is also in reserve. Liverpool have Marko Grujic in their squad for the first time since November following his injury problems.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Lucas Leiva and Dejan Lovren for Adam Lallana and Ragnar Klavan respectively. A little harsh on Klavan, perhaps, who was solid enough against Manchester City, but Lovren's return from injury means the Estonian drops out. Ronald Koeman has been forced into shuffling his Everton pack, on the other hand, with Matthew Pennington making his first Premier League appearance of the season due to an injury sustained by Seamus Coleman last week.

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Liverpool are just about back on track in the Premier League after seeing their season completely fall apart in the opening stages of 2017, then, with just two wins in the space of 12 games across three different competitions marking their worst start to a calendar year. In the space of a week the Reds crashed out of both domestic cup competitions - to Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers - while also losing further ground in the Premier League title race.

The Reds incredibly went from being the closest challengers for Chelsea's crown at the top of the table to merely battling to keep in touch of the top four in the space of two months, but they have shown signs of recovery since the start of March and are now things look positive once more. The 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur proved to be a false dawn, being followed up with a shocker of a performance away to Leicester City a week later, though seven points from nine was a good way to enter the international break.

Klopp inspired his men to home wins over Arsenal and Burnley at Anfield in contrasting matches - much has been made of the Reds' form against sides at the top and those at the opposite end of the division - and then saw them pick up a creditable point away to Man City a fortnight ago. That match was one of the most breathtaking you will likely see this season, with both teams doing enough to win the match by a few clear goals. Ultimately, it was the Reds who will really be kicking themselves due to Lallana's shocker of a miss at a pivotal point.

All focus is now on simply holding down a spot in the top four, which will essentially be seen as a positive enough outcome in what is Klopp's first full campaign on Merseyside. A trophy would have been nice, a title push even better, but bringing Champions League football back to Anfield before rebuilding in the summer is certainly a decent achievement in itself. This is the Reds' toughest remaining fixture, too, so you would back them to build up some momentum in the coming weeks.

That said, Liverpool have hardly set the world alight against teams in the bottom half, so maybe they would prefer to have a run of fixtures against the teams around them in the table! Klopp's charges take on six mid-table sides and two relegation strugglers in the remaining six weeks or so of the season, meaning a change for the Reds to put together a run of positive form and prove their doubters wrong. Their reward? A place in the Champions League next season.

Liverpool are currently four points clear of Manchester United in fifth and six in front of an out-of-form Arsenal, although both teams both have two games in hand to play on the Reds. That means Klopp's side could essentially be down in sixth place by the time the fixtures even themselves out, so their position of fourth is a false one on the face of it. Some will argue that you would rather simply have the points on the board, but only time will tell in that regard.

Klopp could become the first Liverpool manager to win his first three Merseyside derby league outings with victory today, following the late 1-0 triumph at Goodison Park in December - Sadio Mane scoring with pretty much the last kick of the match - and the more comfortable 4-0 battering here a little over 12 months ago. Their record against teams in the top half does need highlighting - they are unbeaten in 14 against the current top 10, winning eight and drawing six.

DID YOU KNOW? Liverpool have not won four home games in succession since this time last year, which they can achieve today following previous wins over Burnley, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the last six weeks or so. The Reds' current tally of victories in the Premier League is already the same as they managed throughout the entire of last season, meanwhile, so even after that terrible patch midway through the campaign they are still making improvements under Klopp.

Everton have a difficult task on their hands this afternoon, as Manchester United (twice) are the only team to stop Liverpool from scoring at Anfield during Jurgen Klopp's time in charge here. The Reds boast an impressive record against top-half sides, too, winning eight and drawing six so far this term, and they could rack up four home wins in succession today for the first time in a year. Crisis? What crisis!

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Everton find themselves in a much stronger position now compared to the last time these two teams met, meanwhile, and they have reduced the deficit on their opponents from 16 points on January 1 to just six points heading into this 228th Merseyside derby showdown. The Toffees are the form team in the Premier League since the turn of the year, picking up more points (23) and scoring more goals (26) than any other side in the division.

The Toffees' impressive form is largely down to the goalscoring work of Lukaku up top, having netted an unrivalled 21 times so far this season - 10 of those coming in the 80th minute or later. The Belgian has inevitably been linked with a summer switch away from Goodison Park, even before making clear that he wanted to better himself by moving on, but should his side maintain their current form and usurp Liverpool he may well have second thoughts and remain for at least another year.

There is more to Everton that just Lukaku, of course, which is reflected in their run of just one defeat in 12 since last facing off against Liverpool - a 3-2 reverse at the hands of Tottenham last month. Furthermore, Koeman's men have won eight of those matches to make up the ground on the stuttering teams above them, clawing to within six points of rivals Liverpool after playing the same number of matches.

Koeman has also got his wish of bringing European football to Goodison Park next season, albeit through a backdoor route due to the division's heavyweights making up the last four in the FA Cup - thus meaning a free slot for the next best side to qualify for the Europa League. The Dutchman, involved in a spat with Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill over the past 24 hours, will not give up on finishing in fourth place even if it does seem virtually impossible at this stage.

This is a truly huge week for Everton in their bid to finish higher than their current standing of seventh, as they follow up this meeting against Liverpool with a clash against Manchester United in midweek, before taking on a resurgent Leicester City a few days later. The Toffees still have Arsenal and Chelsea to face, too, with a final-day shootout at the Emirates Stadium for that last remaining Champions League berth a neutral's dream. Still plenty of football to play between now and then, though.

Everton have kept four clean sheets in their last five matches and have found the net 17 times in their last six matches, skewed somewhat by the six scored against Bournemouth recently and two in added time against Hull last time out. There is no denying that the Toffees are the best team in the division on current form, however, with their 23 points and 26 goals in 2017 unmatched by any other side. Now comes another huge test, as they look for a first win across Stanley Park in 18 years.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! If Liverpool avoid defeat today they will equal their best run of 13 league games without losing to Everton, set in 1978. The Reds have lost just one of the previous 20 meetings in this historic fixture, with the Toffees' last triumph coming in October 2010 - Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta scoring in a 2-0 win at Goodison Park. This fixture has also seen a league-high 21 red cards dished out, seven of the last eight being shown to today's visitors.

With kickoff now less than five minutes away at Anfield, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Jurgen Klopp: "There are not too many other cities around the world with two clubs of this size and importance. I think I am not skilled in a lot of parts of life, but maybe I am a genius in understanding derbies because I didn't need a second to understand this. "The world stops for 90 minutes in a city. Football is not the most important thing in the world but in a a few moments we love to think it is. "In the stadium it's still our ground. I'd really love to show this fact."

Ronald Koeman: "In one week we lost three players; players who are normally in the starting lineup. We still have a strong team. It's a nice challenge. James [McCarthy] had an injury when he joined up and the Everton medical team notified them. In my opinion, in this instance, [the manager] was not protecting the player. Clearly James was not fit to play. He had trained for only two days and broke down. I spoke to James and he needs to take responsibility for this."

Both sets of players now out on the field of play, with a minute's silence to come before kickoff for the late Ronnie Moran, who had a 45-year association with Liverpool during his playing and coaching career. Once the respects are paid we will get under way in the 228th Merseyside derby clash - Everton aiming to end a run of nearly two decades without a win here and the Reds going for a 14th match without defeat in this fixture.

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KICKOFF! Less than a minute on the clock before the first challenge of the match came in from Barkley, leading to referee Anthony Taylor to blow his whistle. This is the 228th Merseyside derby, as I mentioned, and the 50th during the Premier League era.

Everton enjoying a prolonged spell of possession at the moment, but they cannot force the ball through down the right and it is eventually won back by the hosts. Clyne lucky to avoid being shown a yellow for pulling back on Baines.

Barkley and Calvert-Lewin link well in attack but the latter can't quite get the ball under control. The Toffees looked the more lively in the early stages of this match, looking to get right in their opponents' faces.

Not quite sure how Barkley has avoided seeing a yellow card for his strong challenge on Can. Clyne was also fortunate to get away with one when pulling back on Baines earlier - Anthony Taylor clearly being lenient early on.

He scored the winner with virtually the last kick of the match at Goodison Park in December, and Mane has found the breakthrough again this afternoon in the opening 10 minutes. It was a superb finish from the Senegalese, who drifted down towards the left and tucked the ball past a rooted Robles, using Coutinho's run as a decoy.

That was the Reds' first serious attacking move of the match, perhaps catching the visitors somewhat off guard. Everton, with five players under the age of 23 in their starting ranks, must now show character to bounce back.

Either side of the goal, the Toffees have seen more of the ball. Lukaku almost given something to chase down around the back but the intended pass had too much on it and rolled right through for countryman Mignolet to collect.

Many questioned the sum of money Liverpool handed over to Southampton for Mane last summer, but he has now been involved in 18 league goals for the Reds - 13 of his own and a further five assists, making this his best campaign yet in England.

A minor scare for the hosts, as a cross comes into the back-post area from the left but Calvert-Lewin can't quite get it under control. The ball went back in but had too much on it for Lukaku, who was offside anyway.

Only the second game Everton have conceded in in their last six outings, but can they respond in the remaining three-quarters of the match? No sign of a breakthrough for them just yet, with that Mane goal the only chance for either side.

SAVE! Coutinho waves through the Everton defence with ease and has a shooting chance at the end of it, only to be denied by a strong hand from Robles. Jagielka was then required to head the ball off the line.

Coutinho, with just the one goal and one assist this calendar year, probably should have been doing better with that chance. Just the two openings so far this afternoon, both of which have fallen the Reds' way.

Everton win a corner and it is met by the head of Jagielka, who was rather off balance and always had a tough task guiding the ball on goal. Mignolet still yet to be tested as we hit the 25-minute mark on Merseyside.

Barkley very nearly picking out Lukaku, who is constantly looking to peel off his man. Can then brings down the England midfielder around 25 yards from goal - good range to take on the free kick and test Mignolet.

YELLOW CARD! Real disappointment for the visitors, as Baines sends the free kick right into the wall. Liverpool look to attack and Davies lunges in on Mane with a reckless challenge, rightly earning the game's first yellow.

A first league appearance of the season for relatively unknown youngster Matthew Pennington, and a dream first goal for the club. Everton win another corner kick and, after being helped on the front post, the stand-in wideman was there to prod home from just a few yards out.

Coutinho has been nowhere near his best levels this year, but this is the Brazilian at his complete and utter best. The playmaker was allowed to cut inside on his right foot by Pennington after drifting into the box, sending a curled effort out of Robles' reach.

An explosive three-minute spell in this match has seen Liverpool regain their lead after initially being pegged back. The hosts have enjoyed themselves in the attacking third every time they get in possession, so Koeman will surely tinker at the break.

Just 177 seconds between the second and third goals of the afternoon, both of which saw Pennington play a big part. The youngster bagged the leveller for his side but gifted Coutinho the chance to curl home just a few minutes later.

YELLOW CARD! Lukaku barely had a sniff of the ball in the opening 39 minutes of the match, which Klopp will be delighted about. Everton still right in this match but they look very shaky at the back, as Barkley earns a yellow for a poor challenge on Lovren.

Seen a couple of replays of that Barkley challenge now and it is fair to say he is very lucky to still be on the field. After losing the ball he went in late on Lovren, catching his opponent high up the shin - a straight red if properly spotted.

Klopp and Koeman with a little coming together on the sidelines. This match has threatened to boil over in the past 10 minutes or so, particularly after that poor challenge from Barkley that warranted more than a yellow card.

Now into two minutes of added time at Anfield, with Liverpool looking to see things through with this one-goal advantage. A lively first half with a few big talking points, but it is the hosts who have done enough to take a likely lead into the break.

Referee Anthony Taylor, who was far too lenient in that first half, brings the opening 45 minutes to a close. Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho found the net either side of Matthew Pennington's goal to ensure that Liverpool hold a 2-1 lead over Everton at the midway point in this Merseyside derby.

The Reds found the net from their first real attacking move of the match, and it was Mane - the matchwinner the last time these sides met in December - who found the breakthrough with a well-taken finish. The Senegalese was allowed to drift into the box and used the decoy run of Philippe Coutinho to his advantage, simply tucking the ball past a rooted-to-the-spot Joel Robles. Liverpool were enjoying themselves when getting on the ball in the final third, again simply waltzing their way through on 20 minutes when Philippe Coutinho was this time thwarted by a big hand from Robles, with Phil Jagielka well positioned to head the loose ball off the line.

A pivotal period of play followed, as Everton levelled things up through Matthew Pennington before then seeing their opponents regain their advantage 177 seconds later in the 50th Premier League meeting between these two neighbours. Pennington, on his first league outing of the campaign, prodded home from close range after getting on the end of a flick-on - the fifth player to open his scoring account in a Merseyside derby. The youngster was certainly in the thick of things, being turned inside out by Coutinho moments later and allowing the Brazilian to superbly curl home the game's third goal.

The Reds were able to hold onto their advantage heading into the interval, but they felt that Ross Barkley should have been dismissed for a strong challenge on returning defender Dejan Lovren shortly before the break, instead being shown just a yellow by lenient referee Anthony Taylor. Plenty for both managers to think about at the break, then, but will either make a change at this midway point?

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Woodburn, Klavan, Origi

EVERTON SUBS: Stekelenburg, Kenny, Barry, Lookman, Mirallas, Valencia, Kone

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RESTART! Seventeen times Everton have trailed at half time in a Merseyside derby and 17 times they have failed to go on and win. The omens not great for them, then, with Liverpool now having to see out the remaining 45 minutes.

SAVE! The Toffees have started the second half brightly and win a free kick in a good crossing position. Williams made the most of some slack defending at the back post by meeting the delivery, which Mignolet kept out routinely enough.

The second half panning out in a similar manner to the first, with Everton seeing more of the ball in promising positions but doing little with it. Liverpool, on the other hand, keep finding gaps in behind to exploit.

Mane gets his leg trapped in the ground following a challenge and it initially looked like he could have done his knee ligaments. The Liverpool forward is currently receiving some treatment but does not look as bad as first feared.

Mane looked ready to come back on but saw his leg buckle on the sidelines and is now seemingly down for good. Klopp still not ready to make a change but he will surely have to be taken off in the next few minutes.

SHOT! Barkley with a bit of room to shoot for the first time today, but he does not make the greatest of contact with the ball and it bounces nicely into the welcoming hands of Mignolet. Mane is about to be taken off.

LIVERPOOL SUB! Mane is indeed withdrawn with what could well be a long-term injury. Divock Origi on in his place, meaning that Klopp is retaining faith with that three-man forward line for the time being, with the Reds one up.

Barkley really growing into the game now after looking below-par for the first 50 minutes or so of the match. The Englishman somehow retains possession under pressure, takes it past a few men and lays it off, but the ball into the box is blocked.

On the pitch for a matter of minutes, Origi hammers the ball past Robles to put Liverpool on course for three valuable points. Coutinho lays it off for the Belgian, who just buried it right down the middle. Once again, Robles barely moved!

Coutinho's goal was pretty much unstoppable, while Mane's was also well placed into the bottom corner, but this has to go down as an error from Robles. Origi's shot was powerful but hit right down the middle - the Everton stopper should have been there.

YELLOW CARD! Another poor challenge from an Everton player, this time from Williams on Can. The German in some serious pain and looks likely to become the second Reds player to be withdrawn, with the stretcher being readied.

EVERTON SUB! Can was actually able to shake off that knee problem, but he has been shown a yellow for a challenge of his own on Gueye. Koeman brings on Valencia and Barry for Pennington and Davies for the final 22 minutes.

SAVE! This match is not over just yet, with just one Everton goal needed to set up a thrilling finale. Holgate comes close to finding his side's second, being kept out by Mignolet and then heading over from the next attack.

Liverpool successfully defend a chipped Baines free kick into the box and then charge down Barkley's attempt from the edge of the box. The Toffees have a bit of momentum but are unable to really get Lukaku into the game.

LIVERPOOL SUB! One of Coutinho's better games so far this year, and he leaves the pitch to a standing ovation from three section of the ground. Trent Alexander-Arnold on for the remainder, with Klopp shoring up at the back.

Now into the final 15 minutes of the match and it is Liverpool who are looking good value for a fourth league win on the spin. Koeman still has one change available to make, which he will surely use in the coming minutes.

SAVE! Better from Robles, who this time manages to get in the way of Alexander-Arnold's first-time attempt to keep the scoreline at 3-1. A fourth for Liverpool ends things for good; one for Everton and who knows.

Very little action at the moment, that Alexander-Arnold shot aside. The right-back is seemingly playing as a right-sided forward at the moment, because he is the furthest man up the pitch and nearly gets on the end of a through-ball.

EVERTON SUB! Koeman makes his final change of the afternoon, bringing on Mirallas for Calvert-Lewin. Still time for Everton to rescue something out of this game, with around 12 minutes to go with added time.

Liverpool closing in on another precious victory, then, which will take them up to third for at least 24 hours. Been a quiet end to the match, something that will suit home boss Klopp just fine as his men see things through with ease.

If the Reds do see through these final four minutes of normal time, it will be 14 league games without defeat against their city neighbours, equalling the previous best run set in 1978. Mirallas blasts over to deny his side a route back into things.

LIVERPOOL SUB! A final alteration of the afternoon, as Firmino comes off for a breather. Klavan the man on in his place, suggesting that Liverpool will sit back for these final moments of a match that has petered out.

Koeman will be disappointed to see his side fall to a second defeat in 13, but they never really deserved to take anything from this match. Robles to blame for one goal and his defenders, arguably, for the other two.

We are now into the second of four added-on minutes at Anfield. Still no sign of either side adding to the goals tally, with the hosts standing firm at the back and clearing away every ball that makes its way into the area.

Anthony Taylor, in the thick of things in the opening 45 minutes, signals the end of this Merseyside derby showdown. Liverpool were good value for their 3-1 win in the end, making it 13 league meetings without defeat against rivals Everton now and moving up to third place in the table. Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi were all on the scoresheet for the Reds on an afternoon to forget for the visitors.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Anfield. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from a few other Premier League games can be found elsewhere on the site. Thanks for joining!