Everton host Liverpool at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time on Sunday in a new era for the football club following their historic move from Goodison Park. The famous stadium got the send-off it deserved during a thrilling 2-2 draw last season as James Tarkowski wrote himself into Blues folklore with an emphatic stoppage-time equaliser.
This time around, the two clubs are in a similar position having endured contrasting fortunes. David Moyes' side are firmly in the mix for European football with slip-ups above them opening the door to increasing the pressure on the leading pack - for Everton supporters, there would be no greater time to beat their city rivals.
Liverpool, however, are licking their wounds after bowing out of the Champions League to holders Paris Saint-Germain. A win last time out in the Premier League kept them within touching distance of Manchester United and Aston Villa, but under-pressure Arne Slot faces a much tougher test in the fixture where he was sent off after tensions boiled over 12 months ago.
Aaron Lennon is a player who has played in numerous derbies in English football and tasted the Merseyside derby during his time at Everton. The Englishman made his debut for the Blues in the fierce showdown with their rivals and Lennon has previously described the North London and Merseyside derbies as "very similar".
Speaking in light of the dramatic 2-2 draw at Goodison Park last year, Lennon said: "Until you play in them games, you don't realise - I was the same.
"Going into them, you've heard about the Merseyside derby but until you're on that pitch, it grabs you, you are flying into tackles and doing things you wouldn't normally. You're pumped up, you notice it in the warm-up that it is the big one, you feel it.
"It's up there, it's fierce, I played in the North London one that's fierce as well. They're very similar, it's not just outside but within the football club.
"At Everton you knew the tension, you've got the old school, the kit men, the staff they're all Evertonians. There's been times where we've come in, we've lost and everyone's fuming then they'd go, 'at least the Reds got beat as well', you could see how much they disliked each other. It's similar, they're great, the atmosphere goes up a notch, they're brilliant to play in."
United's 1-0 win over Chelsea saw them extend their gap to Liverpool, while a fourth straight home league defeat for Liam Rosenior's side means that Everton will leapfrog them into sixth.
Aaron Lennon in action for Everton against Liverpool.
The meeting between the two 12 months ago descended into chaos after four red cards were shown. Tensions boiled over at Goodison Park which saw four red cards shown, three for Liverpool including management staff Slot and Sipke Hulshoff.
Moyes has stoked the fire ahead of the first meeting at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Scot told his opposite number to stop complaining about referees.
He said: "He has done a brilliant job and I have got to say he is a really good coach – that is from a neutral point of view.
"But I'm not sure I'm having him saying they are getting bad decisions at Anfield because if you ask any Premier League manager over football history, they will tell you that if there is one club that gets all the decisions, it is Liverpool Football Club.
"So if they are finding a few bad things at the moment, well, we have had to put up with them for years, every time we go there. But as a coach, I think he's a top coach.
"I actually think Liverpool supporters would agree with that if they were honest as well! There are very few decisions that go against Liverpool at Anfield. Very few."
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