Antonio Conte has refused to get ahead of himself with regards to Chelsea's chances of a Premier League title triumph.
The Blues can stretch their lead to eight points if they overcome London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Wednesday evening.
Chelsea have Liverpool lurking over their shoulder, but Jurgen Klopp's men lost ground on the race when they were restricted to a 2-2 draw by Sunderland on Monday.
Despite winning their last 13 top-flight games on the trot - a league record - Conte is taking the campaign game by game.
"First of all we have to win, and to win against Tottenham is not easy," the Italian told reporters. "If after the game we have an eight point gap, we'll be pleased.
"If you see the table, we have only five points more than second place from Liverpool and seven points from Manchester City. The league is open. This is only the first game of the second part of the season.
"This league is very tough. In every game you can lose points. It is important to stay focused in every game, whether you play Tottenham or another game."
Chelsea have lost just two of their 19 games, with both coming back-to-back in September.
Danielle Joynson
