Enzo Maresca will not let his Chelsea players get complacent after a chaotic 4-3 victory over Tottenham moved them within touching distance of the Premier League summit.
Cole Palmer's second-half penalty double, scored either side of Enzo Fernandez's lashing finish, sealed a remarkable turnaround at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Chelsea trailed 2-0 after just 11 minutes as Marc Cucurella's pair of errors allowed Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski to score, before Jadon Sancho reduced the arrears with a fine finish.
A battling comeback victory saw Chelsea move within four points of Liverpool, whose game with Everton was postponed due to inclement weather, and Maresca insists his side will not relent.
"The plan or the idea is to not let the players slow down. They can not drop because they know another player is waiting to come in," the Chelsea boss told Sky Sports.
"Arsenal, City and Liverpool probably don't slide - like Cucurella did! To be serious, we are not ready, we are far from these teams but we focus on day-by-day and trying to improve the team."
Maresca continued to reiterate Chelsea are not yet in the title race, despite leapfrogging Arsenal and increasing the pressure on Arne Slot's Reds.
However, the Blues are firmly in contention heading into a decisive festive period, thanks to the brilliance of Palmer and Maresca's selection of young talent.
Palmer now has 50 goal involvements (33 goals, 17 assists) in 48 Premier League games for Chelsea, a tally bettered by only three players in the competition's history.
Manchester City's Erling Haaland (39), Andy Cole for Newcastle United (43), and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah (46) have ever reached 50 in fewer league games for a club.
Maresca acknowledged the special talent he has in Palmer, who has converted all 12 penalties taken in the Premier League, the most in the competition's history without ever missing (Yaya Toure is next on 11).
"I know Cole from a long time ago and I always trust him in every aspect," Maresca said of his star talisman. "He is a fantastic guy.
"He is learning how to play games when he is marked man-to-man, [Yves] Bissouma was with him all the game. He is learning, improving and scoring goals. That makes him happy and makes us happy."
Bissouma was at fault for the first penalty, hauling down the onrushing Moises Caicedo, who was earlier fortunate to avoid a red card after a VAR review for a high lunge on Pape Sarr in the first half.
Sarr then felled Palmer for the second spot-kick, which he coolly dinked down the middle, and created breathing room for Chelsea that was needed thanks to Son Heung-min's late consolation goal.
It would have been more straightforward for the visitors if not for the slips from Cucurella, though Maresca saw the humorous of those errors after another impressive comeback.
"He said to me after the game that he was trying to bring emotion to the game," Maresca joked. "It's more a question for Marc [on his boots].
"They are mature enough to decide what boots they need for the game."