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Everton and Liverpool do battle in the first Merseyside derby of the season on Sunday in what is always a highly-charged fixture.

This week our top five feature counts down the five best derbies in recent memory.

5. 1982 Division One (Goodison Park) - Everton 0-5 Liverpool

This will be the first, but not the last, mention of Ian Rush on this list. This game is simply known as the 'Ian Rush match' as the boyhood Everton fan scored four times in a 5-0 rout at Goodison Park.

Everton did have new signing Glenn Keeley sent off in the game but Rush, who had only just turned 21, was unstoppable on the day.

Such was the ignominy of the Everton performance that there were some calls for manager Howard Kendall to be sacked. However, he stayed on, and two seasons later Everton won the league.

4. 2001 Premier League (Goodison Park)- Everton 2-3 Liverpool

Robbie Fowler's 'line of coke' celebration at Anfield during the 1998/99 season is probably the most memorable Merseyside derby moment from the Premier League era, but this clash at Goodison in 2001 was the best game.

This was the season that Liverpool won three trophies and qualified for the Champions League on the final day, and without Gary McAllister's belter of a free-kick in stoppage-time of this crucial match, that might not have happened.

It had looked as if Liverpool had thrown the game away before that late strike. Goals from Emile Heskey and Marcus Babbel had put the Reds in control but Duncan Ferguson and a David Unsworth penalty levelled the match.

Liverpool then had Igor Biscan sent off but McAllister had the last laugh when his speculative free-kick caught Paul Gerrard unaware.

3. FA Cup semi-final 1977 (Maine Road) - Liverpool 2-2 Everton (Liverpool won replay 3-0)

Even to this day, this match rankles with Everton fans who felt they were robbed a sensational come-from-behind victory. Twice they fought back from a goal down, with Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch cancelling out strikes from Terry McDermott and Jimmy Case.

But in the last minute, Bryan Hamilton got on the end of McKenzie's flick on for what looked to be the winning goal. However, controversial Welsh referee Clive Thomas disallowed the goal and the blue half of Merseyside still have no idea why.

The official reason was offside, while some say Hamilton handled the ball. However, Everton fans still claim they "were robbed". Liverpool won the replay 3-0.

2. 1989 FA Cup final (Wembley) - Liverpool 3-2 Everton

An emotional occasion as the whole city descended on London - not just for the game, but also to honour those who had died at Hillsbrough five week earlier.

It would have been completely understandable had the game been a drab affair - it was anything but. John Aldridge sparked it into life with the opener after four minutes, while Everton gradually worked their way back into the match. But it was not until stoppage time that Stuart McCall levelled the contest.

Everton must have been delighted to see their nemesis Rush start on the bench, but that just left the Welsh striker (pictured from this game) fresh for extra-time and he put Liverpool back in front in the 95th minute.

McCall scored an absolute scorcher to level things again, but Rush would not be denied as he scored the winner in 104th minute to secure the Reds the Cup.

1. 1991 FA Cup fifth round replay (Goodison Park) - Everton 4-4 Liverpool (Everton won second replay 1-0)

The greatest Merseyside derby in history and 88th best game ever, according to our recent Top 100 poll.

Three days earlier the sides had drawn 0-0 at Anfield, but the replay at Goodison Park was fireworks all the way.

Peter Beardsley put the visitors ahead after 32 minutes, but less than a minute into the second-half Graeme Sharp levelled. Beardsley popped up again on 71 minutes, dancing past Martin Keown before smashing the ball past Neville Southall, only for Sharp to level once more two minutes later after Steve Nicol and Bruce Grobbelaar had failed to find a common Scottish-Zimbabwe word for 'mine'.

Serial Merseyside derby goalscorer Rush put Liverpool 3-2 ahead with 13 minutes to go but Toffees substitute Tony Cottee took the game into extra-time with a last-minute equaliser.

Liverpool went ahead yet again as Barnes curled in a 30-yard belter, but with only five minutes remaining Cottee was quickest to a wayward back pass and nutmegged Grobbelaar to force another replay.

The drama proved too much for Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish who resigned two days after, while Everton won the second replay thanks to a Dave Watson goal.

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