Draw serves up dream ties

Football’s sense of occasion was spot on yesterday as the FA Cup fourth-round draw produced a Merseyside derby and several other eye-catching ties.

A third-round draw that largely failed to hit the heights was outdone by the very first match as Liverpool and Everton were pulled out of the hat.

To add further spice to an already legendary fixture, the tie comes in the same week as a league game between the teams at Anfield while Reds captain Steven Gerrard is due in court on charges of assault and affray.

The match also comes in the year of the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, following which Liverpool beat Everton in the FA Cup final.

A second heavyweight Premier League clash sees Manchester United hosting Tottenham.

The match is a repeat of last season, when United won 3-1, and boss Alex Ferguson told Setanta: “A home tie is all you can hope for, it’s quite a good draw.”