Jurgen Klopp believes Everton became Premier League challengers the moment Carlo Ancelotti stepped in as manager.
The Blues are three points clear at the top of the embryonic table having won their first four top-flight games for the first time in 51 years.
Liverpool will hope to end the perfect start to the season of their neighbours – who have won seven from seven in all competitions – when they travel to Goodison on Saturday for the 237th Merseyside derby.
And Klopp admits he isn’t surprised to see Everton back in the upper echelons after Ancelotti replaced Marco Silva in the hotseat last December.
“Top team, top manager,” said the Reds boss. “What I think about Carlo Ancelotti was never a secret. I couldn't respect him more as a person and as a coach. He's a wonderful human being, to be honest.
“I knew from the first day when I heard that he will sign for Everton, I thought ‘Ah, the next proper challenger in line’.
“Now I think they did perfect business in the summer. They found pretty much exactly the players they needed to improve an already pretty good football team. Together with being more used to what Carlo wants them to do makes them a pretty strong team.
“I'm really not surprised about the way they play.”
Liverpool go into the game having seen their own 100% Premier League record ended with an astonishing 7-2 loss at Aston Villa a fortnight ago, their heaviest defeat since 1963.
The Reds have scored just once in four previous Goodison visit under Klopp – the 1-0 win in December 2016 – with the last three such meetings ending goalless.
And despite fans still being absent from matches, the Liverpool boss is all too aware of what the match means to supporters.
“Now people will say, 'Try and do it different' because we were not unbelievably successful at Goodison in the last few years,” Klopp told Premier League Productions:.
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“The games were not highest quality – neither Everton or us played their best football in these games. But I think we still should give it a try.
“Of course, we all know about the importance for our people and that's the main reason why we play football.
“If it would not be important to our people, to our supporters then there's no reason why we do this on the level we do it. So, we know it and try to use it.”
