Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti is plotting an offensive on two fronts in the final months of the season as he hopes to win Serie A and the Champions League.
Spalletti's side were comfortable 3-0 winners away to Spezia on Sunday, briefly increasing their lead at the summit to 16 points.
Inter had the chance to trim Napoli's lead to 13 points later in the day, as they chased victory in the Milan derby, but even that gap would appear to be unassailable given the form of the front-runners this season.
If Napoli do manage to win the domestic title, it will end a barren run that stretches back to 1990 and be their first without the inspirational influence of Diego Maradona, who was also behind their success three years earlier.
Winning Serie A would be momentous, but Napoli are also into the last 16 of the Champions League and face Eintracht Frankfurt next – the Naples side have never won Europe's premier competition, nor its predecessor, the European Cup.
Spalletti wants to put that right.
"There are moments in life when results are achieved and in those moments you either settle or try to double down," he told Sky Sport Italia.
"We have no doubts, we've decided to double down.
"We go and play the matches trying to do something for the love of the fans, for the people who were perhaps even today at home praying for us because they love us. We must be proud of that."
Napoli's key men – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen – got the goals, with the latter netting twice.
Kvaratskhelia – who also teed up Osimhen's second – became only the fifth player across the top five European leagues to reach double figures for goals (10) and assists (12) this season.
Meanwhile, Osimhen's brace made him just the fourth Napoli player ever to score 16 times in the first 21 matches of a Serie A campaign.
But both were the targets of verbal barrages from Spalletti in the first half – that seemed to do the trick.
"It was because we need their quality, their inspiration, their imagination," Spalletti said. "When the matches flatten out, they are the ones who can make the difference and open the way.
"You have to find the first striker, play it out wide to open up the channels. Just moving it around isn't enough.
"The pitch was very difficult, dry underneath, it wasn't easy to find the rhythm we're used to, so sometimes you have to play direct to Osimhen, making the most of the fact he's really strong from a physical point of view."
Napoli are next in action in a week's time, on Sunday, February 12, when they host winless Cremonese.
Fulham duo Mitrovic and Silva apologise after FA Cup red cards against Manchester United
Aleksandar Mitrovic and Marco Silva have issued apologies over their dismissals during Fulham's FA Cup loss to Manchester United earlier this month.
The pair were both shown red cards by referee Chris Kavanagh during a seismic passage of play in the Cottagers' 3-1 quarter-final exit at Old Trafford.
Having been called over to the pitchside monitor to check for a handball offence by Willian, who was subsequently sent off, the match official also dismissed Silva for dissent before showing red to Mitrovic after the forward pushed him, reducing them to nine men.
Bruno Fernandes then scored the resulting penalty as Fulham swiftly collapsed from holding a 1-0 lead going into the closing stages.
On Wednesday, both player and manager revealed they had spoken to Kavanagh to apologise, and stressed they will accept the punishments handed down against them.
"I have been away with my national team and have had some time to reflect on the Manchester United match," Mitrovic told the club's website.
"As everyone knows, it was a very emotional one, in which the team gave absolutely everything on the pitch to try to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup.
"On a personal level, I regret my actions that led to me being sent off. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong.
"I have accepted the three-match ban for my red card, I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise, and I have volunteered to accept a club fine.
"I now want to do what I can to put this incident behind me and get back to helping my teammates on the pitch as soon as possible."
Silva echoed his player's sentiments, adding: "Emotions were high at Old Trafford and, as I said in my press conference after the game, I should have controlled my own emotions better.
"It was a very difficult moment, in a match that we had dominated, but I could have handled the situation better.
"I regret what happened, and I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise.
"He knows that I respect him and the job he has to do. I am sorry that I was not on the pitch to try to lead the team to Wembley, but I am thankful for all the support I have received from Fulham fans over the last few days."
The FA will review issuing a longer ban than the traditional three games for Mitrovic's actions, while Silva is likely to face a touchline suspension too.
Fulham return to action with a trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
Wenger named Premier League's most influential manager by Arteta
Mikel Arteta labelled Arsene Wenger as the most influential manager in Premier League history, after the former Arsenal boss was inducted into the competition's Hall of Fame.
On Wednesday, Wenger was inducted alongside Alex Ferguson, with the pair becoming the first managers to go into the Hall of Fame after 16 players had already been added.
Wenger won three Premier League titles – including with the 2003-04 'Invincibles' – and seven FA Cups during his long stint in charge of Arsenal.
He is renowned for introducing a revolutionary football philosophy, which included a commitment to attacking football.
"I don't think any other managers have had a more impact," Arteta said.
"Some managers have brought different ideas, different characters, different competitions.
"He opened the Premier League to the world in a different way to other managers. He had a vision that was much wider than any other manager had at the time.
"England and the Premier League have to be very grateful forever to this man."
Arteta played under Wenger for five seasons between 2011 and 2016, before becoming Arsenal boss himself in 2019.
After winning the 2020 FA Cup, Arteta has the Gunners leading the Premier League by eight points with 10 games to go.
On track for Arsenal’s first title in 19 years, Arteta has credited Wenger for helping him as a player and then in the next step of his career.
"I had a dream to play for this club and that was because of the way Arsenal played," added Arteta.
"It was so attractive. I had a phenomenal time with him. He pushed me as well at the end of my career to become a coach.
"We had a conversation and I asked him what he would do in my position because I had doubts in my career over whether I wanted to continue my journey as a coach.
"He helped me at the club and at the academy to do my badges and again, he was an inspiration."
Napoli 'lucky' not to have Serie A title rival, claims Totti
Francesco Totti has lauded Napoli and "great coach" Luciano Spalletti but suggests the runaway Serie A leaders have been "also lucky" this season.
Napoli are on course for their first Scudetto since 1990, when Diego Maradona was still at the club.
The Partenopei are a mammoth 19 points clear with only 11 games remaining, making a title triumph almost an inevitability.
Yet Roma great Totti, while praising their work under ex-Giallorossi boss Spalletti, believes they have benefited from the absence of a genuine competitor.
Legend Totti won only one title with Roma, although they finished as runners-up on a further nine occasions across his remarkable career, missing out to Juventus, Milan and Inter.
"I honestly didn't expect it like this," Totti told Sky Sport of Napoli. "I knew it was a good team with a great coach – it was a well-made combination.
"They expressed themselves to the fullest in everything and were also lucky because they didn't have an opponent behind them who can keep up with their pace.
"When we were there, there was always Juve, Inter, Milan who always clung there.
"If you won 20 games, they won 19. Napoli doesn't have a second team like that."
Lazio are Napoli's nearest rivals, but Juve would be second if not for a 15-point deduction. Even then, the Bianconeri would be 15 points off the pace.
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