Preston North End kick off the new year with Saturday's eagerly anticipated FA Cup third round clash with Premiership leaders Liverpool.
Both North West clubs are pushing for success in their respective leagues but will have visions of Barnsley's victory over the Reds in last year's competition.
PNE will be looking to emulate the Tykes' 2-1 success at Anfield while Liverpool will be hoping to rectify their past as being slayed giants by the likes of Bristol City and Barnsley.
North End have a long love affair with the FA Cup after being the first club to win the domestic league and cup double in 1889. Now 120 years on, the current PNE players are looking to progress in both domestic competitions and build a long cup run in this season's competition.
The last FA Cup meeting between the pair was in March 1962 when the Lilywhites ran out 1-0 victors in a second replay at Old Trafford. 47 years later, North End are hoping to repeat this victory and get their name in the hat for the fourth round draw at Soho Square on Sunday.
Alan Irvine's men will be hoping that they can produce a cup shock in front of a sell out crowd at Deepdale, the biggest in over thirty years.
One man in particular who will be desperate for victory is Neil Mellor. The PNE top scorer, who was a trainee at Anfield, will be out to continue his goalscoring form and put a dent in his former club's ambitions for the season.
THE MANAGER - Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benitez is currently the happiest man in the Premiership. The Spaniard's side are sitting on top of the Premiership after an impressive spell of form which has seen them lose only one league game all season.
However, Benitez and his players will still be having nightmares of Brian Howard's dramatic injury time winner at Anfield in last year's competition and will want his side to emulate their current league form in Saturday's cup clash.
He will be desperate to put this memory to bed and prove that his side are capable of maintaining their good form at the start of the new year. The Reds' boss saw his side dish out a 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle on Sunday but don't be surprised to see a different starting eleven walking out of the tunnel at Deepdale.
Regardless of which team turns up at Deepdale, Benitez knows the importance of the FA Cup after lifting the trophy with the Reds at Cardiff in 2006. He saw his side beat West Ham 3-2 after Steven Gerrard's late screamer which will go down as one of the greatest FA Cup goals of all time.
Benitez didn't have the best of times of the park at the turn of the year which a visit to hospital required to remove kidney stones. Fortunately his side didn't disappoint him during the period - winning twice against Bolton and Newcastle.
The former Valencia boss told the Liverpool Daily Post that it was his side deserved to be at the top of the league.
"To be going into a new year at the top of the Barclays Premier League table is a just reward for all the hard work the players and staff have put in this season.
"It's great for the confidence of the players and for the supporters to see us at the top, but we know there is still a long way to go and that is why you won't hear anybody at Liverpool talking about winning the title."
However he told the same paper that the immediate priority is to come through this weekend's showpiece FA Cup third round clash at Deepdale.
"We will do whatever we can to support Steven in the weeks ahead, but we are now concentrating on our preparation for the FA Cup game at Preston this weekend."
LAST MATCH - Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 5
Edgar 45, Gerrard 31, 66, Hyypia 36, Babel 50, Alonso 76
Liverpool remain on top of the tree after Christmas with a crushing 5-1 victory against Newcastle United at St James Park.
The Reds eased to victory thanks to two goals from Steven Gerrard and strikes from Sammy Hyypia, Ryan Babel and a Xabi Alonso penalty.
David Edgar's goal in the closing stages of the first half was merely a consolation as Joe Kinnear's Christmas was cut short early.
Manager Rafael Benitez, who is recovering from an operation to remove kidney stones, watched from the stands as his side eased past a lacklustre Newcastle.
After the game, assistant manager Sammy Lee told BBC Sport he believes that Liverpool are going from strength to strength.
"This is a strong, focused and determined bunch of players," he claimed.
"We are improving with every game and that is all we can look for but you haven't seen the best of Liverpool yet.
"You win nothing in December but you can lose a lot and we're pleased to be going into the New Year at the top, however we cannot rest on our laurels."
Newcastle: Given, Edgar, Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (Ameobi 46), Gutierrez, Guthrie, Butt (Geremi 56), N'Zogbia, Duff, Owen (LuaLua 79).
Substitutes: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Carroll.
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Insua, Benayoun (Alonso 60), Mascherano, Leiva Lucas, Babel, Gerrard (Ngog 70), Kuyt (Skrtel 79).
Substitutes: Cavalieri, Keane, Riera, El Zhar.
LATEST NEWS
The media have been speculating over tomorrow's Liverpool line-up and it is thought that Steven Gerrard is likely to feature, as will Fernando Torres.
It would be European Championship winner Torres' first game since his hamstring injury and Benitez may play him alongside fringe players like Damien Plessis and David Ngog who are also expected to play.
Meanwhile in the frenzied world of the transfer window, Liverpool right winger Jermaine Pennant has been linked with a move to former Tottenham Hotspur boss Juande Ramos' Real Madrid - the Spaniard is said to be desperate for a right-sided winger.
Rafa Benitez is said to have been weighing up the move with the £30,000 a week midfielder being out of contract in the summer. The 25-year-old has struggled to make an impression at Anfield this season after only appearing four times for the Reds.
As one player looks to be heading out of the door, another seems to be entering it with growing speculation of Emile Heskey's return to Liverpool. Like Pennant, Heskey is out of contract at Wigan Athletic in the summer making a move to Merseyside possible.
Commentary on the game will kick off on Whites World from 5.25pm, pre-match coverage will start from 4.55pm. For just £19.99 you can sign up for Whites World for the rest of the season.
Fancy a flutter? pnebetting.com has all the odds on the game including some incredibly generous odds on PNE first scorers - Mellor to score and a 1-0 win for PNE is 80/1. Click here for all the markets.
All the latest news on the fixture can be found here, including exclusive interviews with the likes of Brian Mooney, Clive Tyldsley and more.
And if you're going to the game don't forget to pick up a commemorative programme for just £2 and a special PNE-Liverpool scarf for just £6.99 from the club shop or official programme sellers.
