Carlo Ancelotti is preparing Everton to face an Arsenal side this weekend vastly improved on the version which visited Goodison Park back in December.

Ancelotti – who reserved praise in his pre-match press conference for "complete goalkeeper" Jordan Pickford – watched from Goodison's Main Stand as the sides drew 0-0 on the day he was officially appointed Everton manager.

Counterpart Mikel Arteta was similarly restricted to a watching brief for that game 24 hours after he was unveiled as Arsenal’s new boss.

Everton go to the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium home on Sunday targeting a victory which would inject further impetus into the Blues’ push for European football.

Equally, Ancelotti insists his side is entering a pivotal period with games against Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool following immediately after Arsenal.

Arsenal are 10th, one position and two points behind Everton – Ancelotti’s side positioned five points away from Chelsea in fourth.

Everton have claimed 17 points from eight matches under Ancelotti, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring six of his 11 Premier League goals for the campaign since the Italian took charge.

“Dominic can continue this way, keep going and trying to improve,” said Ancelotti.

“He is doing well but he can do better, he knows.

“But him and Richarlison are doing a fantastic job, they are really dangerous.

“This is what we are asking from them, to be dangerous up front.

“We have very important games. Now we have to focus on Arsenal, then we have United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

“After we can see what is going on for Europe [Europa League qualification].

“Sunday is a really important game against a strong team.

“We are confident and will do our best to try to win.

“Arsenal have improved a lot in the last period, they are trying to play and are better defensively.

“The improvement is clear.

”They are more confident and it will be difficult.

“But the spirit of our team is good and we are confident, too.”

Former Everton midfielder Arteta has won two and drawn five of his eight Premier League matches as Arsenal manager.

His side beat Newcastle United 4-0 five days ago, while Everton also head into the weekend on the back of a victory in their most recent top-flight game.

Ancelotti’s team won 3-1 against Crystal Palace at Goodison a fortnight ago, with Bernard, Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin all on target.

At the other end of the field, meanwhile, Pickford produced a stunning reflex save to deny Christian Benteke after the keeper was unhappy at allowing a shot from the same Palace player to sneak past him for an equaliser.

Pickford has played 102 Premier League games on the spin since joining from Sunderland in summer 2017.

He has established himself as England’s first choice keeper in the same period and was one of the stars of his country’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

And Ancelotti, five times a European Cup winner as player and manager, reckons he has one of the best in the business between the posts for Everton.

“To be England No 1 is a responsibility," added Ancelotti.

“He deserves this because, in my opinion, he is the best English goalkeeper.

“In the game against Crystal Palace he made a mistake but then a fantastic save.

“This is the job of the goalkeeper.

“You can have a mistake but you need the personality to move on quickly.

“For this reason, not only his technical quality, he is the goalkeeper of the national team.

“Jordan is really important for us, he is a complete goalkeeper.

“In modern football you cannot ask the goalkeeper to only save shots, they have to play with the ball."

“He is one of the players who has the ball at his feet most so has to be a complete player.”