Carlo Ancelotti says Everton will get a true measure of their improvement when the surprise Premier League leaders face champions Liverpool today. Ancelotti’s side have reeled off four successive wins in a perfect start to the season.
But the Everton manager knows this weekend’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park will provide the acid test of their resurgence. Everton have not beaten Liverpool since 2010 and finished 50 points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men last term.
Liverpool suffering a humiliating 7-2 thrashing by Aston Villa just before the international break, a result that emphasised some flaws in the Reds’ defence. Despite that shocking loss and some other defensive blunders this season, Liverpool still represent the gold standard in Ancelotti’s eyes.
“I think it will be good for us to have this kind of test. They are the best, they were the best last season and one of the best teams in the world, so it’s a fantastic challenge,” Ancelotti told reporters. 
“The message for us is they are going to have an exciting game, it’s a derby. Be confident and be happy to play this game. I think the feeling in the dressing room is good. We’ve started really well, we know it will be a fantastic challenge.”
Everton are three points above Liverpool and for once have the upper hand going into the derby, leaving fans dreaming of the period in the 1980s when the local rivals slugged it out for the title on a regular basis. 
Klopp is a long-standing admirer of Ancelotti after his success with Chelsea, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. And the German believes Everton are capable of sustaining their early-season success long enough to emerge as title contenders.
“I want to say thanks to him, to be a challenger for Liverpool could be really good for us,” Ancelotti said of Klopp’s compliment. “Of course Liverpool is doing so well. We are, I think, not so far but still far from them. We can have a good test tomorrow against them to see how far we are.”
If Everton can take advantage of Liverpool’s mini-crisis, it would provide further evidence that Ancelotti’s side are capable of turning their early-season form into a sustained revival. Without a major trophy since the 1995 FA Cup, Everton have languished in Liverpool’s shadow since the 1980s, when Howard Kendall led them to a pair of top-flight titles.
Thanks to the intuitive guidance of Italian boss Ancelotti and the sublime displays of Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez, the Goodison Park club have hope again. Ancelotti’s relaxed public persona masks a fiercely competitive streak that has taken him across Europe in search of more managerial glory at an age when many of his peers are ready to step away from such a stressful job.
The 61-year-old has won domestic titles with Chelsea, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, as well as lifting the Champions League with Milan, as player and manager, and Real Madrid. His reputation lost a little lustre during a troubled spell with Napoli that ended with his dismissal in December after 16 months in charge.
Last season, after Ancelotti’s first seven months at Goodison, Everton finished a disappointing 12th, prompting suggestions his appointment to replace the sacked Marco Silva had been a mistake. But he has turned the tide, helped by a dressing room blast that defied his urbane image.
Tearing into his players after a spineless 3-0 loss at Wolves last season, Ancelotti demanded more ambition and the response has been emphatic.
Ancelotti has brought the best out of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has netted nine goals in six games for Everton this season before scoring on his England debut last week. His masterstroke has been the close-season capture of Real Madrid cast-off James.
Fellow new-boys Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure have added grit to Everton’s midfield, but James sets the tone. The 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner fell out of favour in Madrid, but Ancelotti still had faith in him after their time together at Real and Bayern Munich.