"It's a new Everton but still the same philosophy," said Mauricio. "They have a great manager and great players. We have a lot of respect for Everton."
Mauricio finally had the full squad together after the international break on Friday including new signings Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez, Fernando Llorente, Juan Foyth and Paulo Gazzaniga.
"Now it feels like the real competition has started," he said, with a nod to the start of the Champions League and a Carabao Cup third round tie this month - indeed, seven matches before the end of September.
"We start to build a new dynamic and get to know each other to be a strong team with a strong mentality.