It is an area that launched the careers of Wayne Rooney, Dixie Dean and Steven Gerrard and provided a platform for Kenny Dalglish, Gary Lineker and Luis Suarez to further theirs.
Its clubs have won 27 top tier titles and 20 domestic cups, as well as enjoying more success in Europe than any other place in England.
Over 80,000 fans regularly attend its famous stadiums, home to some of the best atmospheres around.
Merseyside has long been established as a significant football hotbed, with its two major teams, Liverpool and Everton, institutions of the English game.
There is a legitimate and growing concern, however, that the area has lost some of its lustre in recent years.
London sides Arsenal and Chelsea are now more regular contenders for the major honours, while Manchester – through United and 21st century giants City – has become the foremost powerhouse in England’s north-west.
Liverpool and Everton remain major clubs with fantastic histories and traditions, but a glance at the duo’s recent medal haul is indicative of their decline.
Liverpool have not won the league since 1990, Everton since 1987.
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A remarkable Uefa Champions League triumph from the former in 2005 increasingly looks like an anomaly; Liverpool have participated in Europe’s primary continental competition only once in the last six seasons and Everton just once in the Europa League in the same period.
The FA Cup and League Cup have brought a little more glory in the time since the pair’s last league crowns, but again the majority of both clubs’ success in those tournaments came in previous decades.
Liverpool have won just two FA Cups since the early 1990s and three League Cups in the last 21 years, one fewer than they managed in the four campaigns between 1980 and 1984.
The 1995 FA Cup, meanwhile, is the sole trophy Everton have attained since they emerged victorious in the same competition in 1984.
It is that wider context that explains why Liverpool and Everton’s respective League Cup semi-final second-leg matches this week are so significant.
Liverpool host Stoke City on Tuesday with a 1-0 aggregate lead behind them, while Everton travel to Manchester City looking to protect their 2-1 advantage.
At a time when the two clubs are desperately looking to add to their respective trophy cabinets, an all-Merseyside final at Wembley in February looks a real possibility.
Such a meeting would make for a memorable occasion but also a significant one for both outfits.
Liverpool and Everton have underperformed in the Premier League this term. Even in a season when champions Chelsea have imploded and Manchester United have not only struggled for goals and plaudits but points too, neither Merseyside club is likely to finish in the top four.
The League Cup therefore represents an excellent opportunity for Jurgen Klopp and Roberto Martinez, who would both be able to point to the trophy as tangible evidence of progress despite hitherto underwhelming league campaigns.
David Moyes did a fine job at Goodison Park during his 11 years at the helm between 2002 and 2013, but the one black mark against his record was his failure to lead Everton to a trophy.
Klopp’s predecessor Brendan Rodgers was also unable to win anything while at Anfield, something that may have played a part in his sacking in October.
Before the current Liverpool and Everton managers can dream of lifting the cup next month, they will need to negotiate tricky second legs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The two sides are in pole position to advance, though, with Merseyside hoping to fill both slots in a domestic final for the first time since the FA Cup in 1989.
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