The Spurs boss described the Reds, who top the Premier League having won all four games before the international break, as one of Europe’s best sides during his pre-match press conference.
Tottenham humbled Liverpool with a 4-1 victory at Wembley in the corresponding fixture of 2017-18 but Pochettino is wary of the challenge awaiting his team this weekend.
“We are always confident we can beat any team. But, of course, the game on Saturday will be completely different to [last season]. It’s a different season,” he said.
“You need to deserve to win and perform in the way that you believe you can beat your opponent.
“For me, Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe, not only in England. They have very good players and a great manager. It will be a very tough opponent.
“It is going to demand a lot of energy from us – and to have a very good performance if we want to be close to winning.”
Tottenham took nine points from their opening four Premier League fixtures, with their 100 per cent run ended by defeat at Watford earlier this month.