Antonio Conte quickly dampened Napoli's Serie A title hopes after watching his side beat Juventus 2-1 on Saturday.
Randal Kolo Muani's opening goal was canceled out by Frank Anguissa's header before Romelu Lukaku sealed victory from the penalty spot in the 69th minute.
Saturday's win moves Napoli six points clear at the top of the table, although second-placed Inter have two games in hand and face Lecce on Sunday.
Napoli have now achieved at least 17 wins in the first 22 matches played in a single Serie A season for the third time in their history, following 2017/18 when they finished second, and 2022/23, their last Scudetto victory.
Conte's side have also won seven straight games in Serie A for the first time since the period between January and February 2023 (eight under Luciano Spalletti).
Napoli now have 53 points, the same total that Spalletti's side had at this stage of their title-winning season two years ago, but Conte urged his side to keep their feet on the ground.
“We must never extinguish the enthusiasm because it is our lifeblood. However, we must remain grounded because what we have done so far is extraordinary,” Conte said.
“We have already equaled last year's points, and this is without (Victor) Osimhen, Kvara (Khvicha Kvaratskhelia) and Piotr (Zielinski),” he added, referring to three key players who left the club this season, they it with Osimhen. on loan.
“It's nice to see that, despite the difficulties in the (transfer) market and injuries, nothing changes.
“We have to stay humble and keep working. However, today we defeated a great team that left us far behind last year.”
Napoli responded well to their Scudetto's poor defense last season, finishing 10th with 53 points.
Conte added that his side performed well above expectations against Juventus, who had not lost a match in Serie A this season under Thiago Motta.
In fact, Napoli won a Serie A match against Juventus from a losing position for the first time since September 11, 2021, also at home and also for a 2-1 victory.
“The intensity today was like a European match, with very high rhythms and field pressure,” he said.
“We took some risks and yet some still say we play with a low defensive line and on the counter-attack. Sometimes it feels like I'm dreaming.”
Despite the good run Napoli is in, Conte is still keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to the transfer window.
Napoli have already strengthened themselves with the permanent signing of Luis Hasa, while they also welcome Simone Scuffet and Philip Billing on loan.
They have also shown interest in Manchester United striker Alejandro Garnacho, but Conte said his focus was on performance on the pitch.
“It's not just about bringing someone in… Everyone can say well who is missing, and I could also easily say what we need,” Conte concluded.
“But my role as head of the group forces me to focus on the players I already have and make a difference with them.
“Let's see what happens, but I'll stay calm because I know I have a group of players ready to fight with me.”
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