Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he is relishing his first visit to Goodison Park with Liverpool for Monday night's "special" Merseyside derby clash against Everton.

The Reds have hit top form in the former Borussia Dortmund chief's first full campaign in charge at Anfield, losing just two of their 16 games to date to find themselves second in the Premier League.

Klopp is not expecting to have any problem motivating his players for one of the standout fixtures in the English football calendar, with the German looking for a repeat of the 4-0 win for his side the last time the two teams met.

"For me it's pretty special because it's my first time at Goodison Park," he told reporters. "I'm really looking forward to it and it is a very important period of the season.

"We watched Everton vs. Arsenal and atmosphere was good. It will be a real battle. Two good teams against each other. It's all about saying the right things at the right moment to the players."

Everton's last Merseyside derby victory came in 2010, with Liverpool winning five since then and seven of the encounters ending all square.