Direct from the 1978 FA Cup-Winners' Victory Banquet in London's West End. Jimmy Hill introduces highlights from this afternoon's match between Arsenal and Ipswich Town, and talks to the winners as they celebrate their Wembley triumph with their wives and friends. Jimmy Hill analyses the action with the BBC match experts - England's Trevor Brooking, and Southampton manager Lawrie McMenemy.

The new strike partnership of Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee formed last season helped West Ham into third position in the league, their highest finish. Between them the two young internationals scored 54 goals for the Hammers, and they are on target again this season, with Cottee well on schedule to reach the tally of 30 he has set himself. Everton's treatment room has been filled by this season's most celebrated injury list. It is a measure of their squad strength that, though permanently below full compliment - and with last season's 40-goal Gary Lineker now exiled in Spain - they stayed unbeaten longer than any other First Division team at the start of 1986-87.

Television's first full-length examination of two of the game's glamour clubs since they came under new management. United's troubled start to the season led to Ron Atkinson being replaced a month ago by Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen. Tottenham changed their manager in the summer, David Pleat moving in to the big city spotlight after an eight-year spell with Luton Town.

When it comes to contention for the League Championship, little or nothing changes at Anfield. Liverpool have won it 16 times and as this season's halfway stage approaches they are in their familiar position as one of the foremost challengers. This time last year, Chelsea were in the shake-up too, but they faded in the second half of the season and are still trying to find themselves. The Kop, no doubt, expects three points this afternoon from a fixture that Liverpool have not lost for 51 years. Chelsea manager John Hollins' response to such a statistic would be that all bad things must come to an end. After all, Chelsea did get a draw at Anfield last season.

The final coverage of live League football this season comes from Vicarage Road, and Watford's fine home form will demand that Everton be at their Sunday best in pursuit of their ninth Championship success.

The first Littlewoods Cup Final is the 27th in the history of the League Cup competition, and Liverpool head the honours list with four triumphs (1981-4). It is eight years since silverware went to Highbury, and some of the youngsters in today's side were not even in their teens when Arsenal last stepped out at Wembley.

Of the 136 League derbies played between the giants of Merseyside, all of them in the First Division, Liverpool have won 48 to Everton's 47, with 41 games drawn. These clubs head the parade of champions, Liverpool having won the title 16 times and Everton taking their total to nine last season.

George Graham 's forecast, when he took over at Highbury last year, was that Arsenal could be genuine contenders for the league title within two seasons. The timing looks right. Last month's 14th successive win set a new Arsenal record. Coventry City did not need a trophy cabinet until they won the FA Cup last May, but all that Sky Blue excitement at Wembley has been hard to follow this season.

The FA Cup, won six times by Manchester United, has gone to East Anglia just once - ten years ago, when Bobby Robson 's Ipswich shocked Arsenal at Wembley.

After establishing a club record of 14 straight wins in the first half of the season, Arsenal have momentarily gone off the boil. A draw against West Ham and victories over Charlton and Queens Park Rangers make up Manchester United's record in London this season. Past form at Highbury favours United and a close encounter. They have won there three times in the last four seasons, all by the odd goal, as was Arsenal's victory in the corresponding match last season.