'Same players, different voice'
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton says the postponement of the Merseyside derby in December "has really helped Everton".
The Toffees were struggling for form under Sean Dyche but now go into the final Goodison Park derby on a run of three straight league wins under David Moyes.
"David has come in and revitalised them," Houghton told Goodison's Greatest Derbies, a special edition of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "All of a sudden, there's a different way of thinking about their game.
"If they had played it when they should have, with the way Everton were playing, there would have only been one conclusion - a Liverpool victory.
"Now Evertonians are really looking forward to the game. They're going into it with a lot of optimism, belief and confidence. That's down to the past few results they have got.
"David has come in and just given them a bit more belief. It's the same group of players but they just have a different voice. A few tweaks here and there and they look free-flowing, they're scoring goals and everything is looking good.
"The Everton fans are saying 'bring on Liverpool' and there aren't many saying that about playing Liverpool at the moment.
"I can't wait for it. I think it will be an absolute cracker. I'm sure it will be a fabulous occasion."
Listen to Goodison's Greatest Derbies on BBC Sounds
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