Afternoon all. It's not a bad way to start Sunday's Premier League action is it?! We've got the Merseyside derby to accompany your roast dinners!

Obviously there is still a bit of time before the starting lineups are revealed. While we wait, let's run you through a few facts about previous encounters between these rivals.

The Merseyside derby has not been the happiest of fixtures for Everton boss David Moyes. He's come up against Liverpool on 23 occasions but has only seen his side record four wins.

However, on the plus side from an Everton point of view where today's match is concerned, all of those victories have been achieved at Goodison Park.

Today's encounter will mark the 219th meeting between these two clubs, making it the most played club fixture in the history of English football.

This match is also a Premier League record for the most red cards. There have been 20 in total since the top flight was restructured in 1992.

Talking of cards, there have been 20 yellows issued in the last five encounters and one red. So, it seems a fairly safe bet that the referee will be a busy man this afternoon.

BREAKING TEAM NEWS: Pepe Reina fails to recover from an injury for Liverpool. Brad Jones keeps his place in goal.

Liverpool X1: Jones; Enrique, Agger, Skrtel, Wisdom; Gerrard, Allen, Sahin, Sterling, Suso; Suarez

It's a big blow for Liverpool to lose somebody of Reina's experience for this encounter. However, experience is not something that Brendan Rodgers had in mind when he selected his team here. Raheem Sterling, Andre Wisdom and Suso all start their first derby matches.

Everton X1: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Naismith, Neville, Fellaini, Osman, Mirallas; Jelavic

The big news from an Everton point of view is the fact that Marouane Fellaini has been passed fit to play. The Toffees have missed him in recent matches. Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas also start.

Turning attention back to that Liverpool team briefly and it appears that Reina has been dropped. The Spaniard has been named on the bench which appears to have put an end to reports that he is injured.

Here are both team's benches:

Everton: Mucha, Heitinga, Hibbert, Oviedo, Hitzlsperger, Gueye, Vellios

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Shelvey, Coates, Downing, Henderson, Assaidi

The decision to drop Reina is certainly a bold one from Rodgers that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Having said that, he's made a few errors this season. There will be big pressure on Jones between the posts today to prove his manager right.

Back to Everton and victory for the Toffees will move them back into the top four of the Premier League table. They've started the season somewhat uncharacteristically well.

One player that the home side are likely to miss today is Steven Pienaar. The South African midfielder is suspended following his red card against Queens Park Rangers last month. He has that little bit of creative quality that a lot of other players do not possess.

While we wait for the start of this encounter, let's take a look at what Moyes has told BBC Sport about this match.

And here is what Rodgers has had to say:

A bit more on the Reina situation and it is being reported on local radio that he is only on the bench because number three keeper Peter Gulacsi is injured. Reina has not even taken part in the warm-up so it seems that he is by no means fit.

Nice moment for prior to the start of this match as Kevin Sheedy heads on to the pitch. The former Everton winger, who has recently beaten bowel cancer, gets a great reception and quite rightly so.

The players are now in a narrow Goodison Park tunnel. Not long now until kick off...

A great roar goes up as the players come out. That was some noise!

Everton get the 219th Merseyside derby underway...

Big chance for Liverpool on the break that Jose Enrique wastes. He has Sterling clear in front of him but his pass is poor and Tim Howard comes out to collect.

It's Liverpool who have settled the quicker of the two teams. They are seeing a lot of the ball, although they are yet to test Howard with a shot.

Everton are now coming into the encounter a little more. However, like Liverpool they are yet to force the opposition's goalkeeper into action.

A great run from Kevin Mirallas from deep ends when the Belgian drills in a dangerous cross, which Daniel Agger manages to just turn away. The resultant Everton corner comes to nothing.

Correction - that is an unfortunate own goal by Leighton Baines. A cross from Enrique reaches Suarez, who takes a touch to steady himself before shooting. His shot is going wide though until it hits Baines on the back and beats Howard. The Uruguayan celebrates by running over to the Everton bench and throwing himself on the floor following comments from Moyes that he goes down to easy. Not the cleverest of things to do but nevertheless it is 1-0 to the Reds.

Where on earth has the Everton defence gone! This time there is no doubt that Suarez is the goalscorer as he gets a slight touch onto a whipped free kick by Steven Gerrard. He had so much time inside the area. Moyes will not be a happy man, that's for sure.

Oh dear Brad Jones what have you done?! The Aussie keeper tamely punches clear a corner from Baines to Osman, who lashes a shot straight back past him and into the net from the edge of the area. What a match we have now. Game on.

Jones is involved again here and he is lucky to have won a free kick after he dropped the ball following a challenge from Distin. The Everton defender did very little wrong there.

CHANCE! Suarez almost restores Liverpool's two-goal advantage with a powerful low shot from 20 yards out. Thankfully for Everton the ball skids just wide.

BOOKING! Young Sterling gets his name taken down after a body check on Baines. The Liverpool winger can have no complaints.

It's beginning to get a little tasty between the two sets of players now. Gerrard and Howard have exchanged verbals, while Jelavic and Skrtel have just had words. Surprised it took this long!

It's the turn of Liverpool's defence to go missing. Fellaini is given time and space to drill in a cross for an unmarked Naismith, who simply cannot miss from inside the six-yard box. What a first half we've had.

SAVE! Everton now have the bit between their teeth. Their latest chance sees a rising shot from Mirallas tipped away by Jones.

Mirallas is now down injured after a neat turn past Wisdom before seeing his shot blocked. Not sure what's he done, but it appears to be an ankle problem.

The Belgian international is now back on his feet and back on the pitch. Meanwhile, there will be three minutes of stoppage time.

BOOKING! Everton skipper Phil Neville goes into the book for diving. Yes diving! You can tell the former Manchester United man doesn't do it too often - it was an awful attempt at simulation!

Well that was a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes of football! We've had it all - Goals, mistakes and yellow cards. More of the same in the second half would be much appreciated!

While we wait for the players to return, here's our half-time report from Goodison Park.

HALF-TIME SUBSTITUTIONS: Double change for Liverpool as Jonjo Shelvey and Sebastian Coates come on for Nuri Sahin and Suso. Meanwhile, Everton replace the injured Mirallas with Magaye Gueye.

It looks as though Rodgers has decided to go with three at the back for Liverpool. Let's hope for his sake that it works better than it did for Roberto Mancini at Manchester City recently!

WHAT A MISS! No idea what Sterling has done. He's through one-on-one with Howard but gets his shot from close range all wrong and the ball doesn't even roll out for a goal kick! Suarez, who was square of the youngster, is not happy that he didn't receive a pass.

Have to say that the second half has started at a much slower pace than the first half was played at. It looks as though both teams are conscious of the fact that they have something to lose now.

BOOKING! Jagielka is cautioned for hauling down Sterling, who was through on goal. The Everton defender can count himself lucky not to see red. Some referees may have viewed that differently.

Some really good defending from Skrtel denies Jelavic a certain goal following a low cross from Seamus Coleman. The Slovakian stretches as far as he can to toe the ball away from the onrushing Jelavic.

CHANCE! A big opportunity for Everton and Jelavic goes begging. Baines is the creator, sending in a teasing cross that the Croatian frontman heads wide from eight yards out. Looking at the replays, he got too much of a good contact on the ball, it needed to skim off his head.

BOOKING! Agger is cautioned following a collision with Fellaini. It's the Liverpool defender's second yellow card of the season.

SUBSTITUTION: Final swap for Liverpool as youngster Wisdom is replaced by midfielder Jordan Henderson.

BOOKING! It's a popular yellow card as Suarez gets his name taken for raking his studs down the back of Distin's Achilles. Not sure if he meant that or not. You'd like to think not.

It's all gone rather quiet here. Both sides look slightly scared to pour men forward in case they leave themselves open at the back.

CHANCE! Distin leaps highest but to meet a corner from Baines but only succeeds in heading way over the crossbar.

CHANCE! Gerrard's eyes light up as the ball bounces free to him on the edge of the box. His effort is scuffed though and Jagielka throws out his leg to block.

SUBSTITUITON: Everton Goalscorer Naismith's afternoon is over as Bryan Oviedo takes his place.

We're going to have a minimum of four minutes of stoppage time. Plenty of time for either side to find a winner.

Liverpool have a free kick around 40 yards from goal with one minute left. Their centre-backs have gone up for this...

DISALLOWED GOAL! Suarez wheels away in jubilation after turning Coates's knock down into the roof of the net. His celebration is cut short though by the linesman's flag.

Well Suarez was certainly not offside there! He was level with the last Everton defender so it's an escape for the hosts. They deserved at least a share of the spoils though.

And that is all we have time for from Goodison Park. Thanks for joining us this afternoon and be sure to look out for our match analysis, which will be coming your way shortly.