England manager Gareth Southgate would have no hesitation unleashing teenagers Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi against the Czech Republic tonight.

As acts of vindication go, Jordan Pickford’s game-saving block to deny Mohamed Salah as the prolific Liverpool forward looked poised to open the scoring in the first half of a tense Merseyside derby was up there with the best of the Premier League this season.

The halfway point of the Premier League campaign dovetails nicely with Christmas so the time has come to provide a little festive cheer by handing out some imaginary mid-season awards, writes Darren Norris

In sharp contrast to the scarcity of strikers in the Ireland squad, John Egan knows he’s a victim of the riches in the central defensive department.

It may be meaningless to many, but the unloved third-place play-off match can produce significant ramifications.

The vagaries of the group stage format at a Fifa World Cup were laid bare in the final round of fixtures as England’s reserves laboured to a 1-0 defeat against Belgium, safe in the knowledge that finishing second in Group G probably opens up a better route to the final.

There will be 100 Premier League players in action at the World Cup, spread across 25 international teams.

Gareth Southgate has decided against selecting Joe Hart or Jack Wilshere.

Jack Wilshere, Gary Cahill, and Joe Hart will suffer heartbreak today as England manager Gareth Southgate names his World Cup squad.

Mo Salah has rightly taken all the plaudits this season after winning the PFA Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year awards, but as the campaign comes to a close he is not the only one enjoying a lap of honour and the adulation of his fans.

Theo Walcott's second-half winner against Newcastle moved Everton up to eighth - their highest position in the Premier League table since August.

Everton held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Goodison Park, although the hosts were left to rue a couple of golden late chances to snatch victory.

Gareth Southgate's men capped a promising display with a deserved victory as an experimental England side secured victory thanks to Jesse Lingard's first international goal.

Bournemouth added to the pressure on West Brom manager Alan Pardew with a late comeback to win 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium.

Everton missed their chance to climb to seventh in the Premier League after falling to a 1-0 defeat at Watford.

The star man, ratings and moment of the match.

In a fixture stepped in history, at a ground where legends watch not just from the stands but from the walls and the heavens, Liverpool’s latest hero stepped forward and put his mark on the occasion.

Daniel Storey reviews the football year.

Manchester United's Romelu Lukaku has played the most football of any Premier League player this season going into the festive schedule.

Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson piled the pressure on former manager Paul Clement with a brilliant strike in a 3-1 victory to leave Swansea rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

A first ever Merseyside derby goal for Wayne Rooney earned a grizzly Everton side a dogged draw, but Liverpool fans were left wondering what might have been had Jurgen Klopp stuck with the ‘Fab Four’.

Wayne Rooney's first Merseyside derby goal earned Everton a draw at Anfield as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's selection gamble backfired.

Wayne Rooney felt he had never scored a better goal than the incredible strike that completed his hat-trick in Everton's 4-0 thrashing of West Ham.

Wayne Rooney completed his first Everton hat-trick with a stunning effort from inside his own half as manager-in-waiting Sam Allardyce watched a 4-0 Premier League victory over West Ham from the stands at Goodison Park.

Southampton 4 Everton 1: On the day Martin O’Neill emerged as a leading contender to fill the vacancy at Goodison Park, Everton provided a clear illustration of the task confronting the successor to Ronald Koeman.

Chelsea 2 Everton 1: David Unsworth’s first match as Everton’s caretaker manager ended in a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

David Unsworth, Sean Dyche, and David Moyes are among the frontrunners for the Everton manager’s job after Ronald Koeman was sacked yesterday with the club languishing in the relegation zone.

The Toffees sit third bottom in the Premier League after winning just two of their opening nine league games and the Dutchman has paid the price.

Defender Michael Keane believes the players have let down Ronald Koeman as the Everton manager fights for his job.

Everton 2 Arsenal 5: Wayne Rooney turned back the clock 15 years with a superb individual goal against Arsenal but the aftermath of a clinical Arsenal display was more about Everton’s future — or more accurately that of manager Ronald Koeman.

Beleaguered Everton manager Ronald Koeman was left clinging on to his job after they slipped into the Premier League's relegation zone with a 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman was forced to endure more disappointment as Lyon consigned his side to an ill-tempered defeat and more Europa League misery.

The struggling Toffees were staring at another defeat when Anthony Knockaert fired Brighton ahead eight minutes from time.

Everton look set for a winner before late drama saw the away team equalise.

Wayne Rooney's Old Trafford return ended in disappointment as Antonio Valencia's breath-taking strike set Manchester United on course for a comprehensive victory against Everton.

Manchester City topped the Premier League summer spending chart - despite their bid for Alexis Sanchez falling through.

Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata were on target as Chelsea showed their Premier League pedigree by swatting aside Everton.

Premier League spending in the current transfer window is already at an all-time record level, with a week remaining.

Wayne Rooney’s 200th career league goal was cancelled out by Raheem Sterling as Pep Guardiola and his 10-man City received a timely reminder of how tough this season will be.

Wayne Rooney scored his 200th Premier League goal but Raheem Sterling came off the bench to snatch a 1-1 draw for Manchester City against Everton.

Everton's Europa League qualifying play-off first leg victory over Hajduk Split is set to be scrutinised by UEFA after the match at Goodison Park had to be stopped for several minutes due to crowd trouble in the away end.

Everton hold a 2-0 lead in their Europa League qualifying play-off tie against Hajduk Split after a first leg at Goodison Park that had to be temporarily stopped due to crowd trouble in the away section.