Arne Slot was surprised by Chelsea's unexpected stumble against Everton, a result that saw the Blues miss the chance to leapfrog Liverpool for the top spot in the Premier League. The Reds then beat Tottenham 6-3 to go four points clear at the top.
Slot acknowledges that being ahead of the chasing pack carries weight as the season approaches its midpoint. Still, he cautions the Anfield side, reminding them of the relentless nature of the Premier League campaign.
"Of course it means something," Slot emphasized. "But you know as well as I know – because I have won the league once – how hard it is to win it. You have to keep on going, every three days be on top of your game for every minute of every game."
"That's why it is so hard to win it. It is not always easy to show up every three or four days. Last week you saw it is easy to get a red card in one moment, it was quite a debate afterwards, not by me but by other people.
"These things can happen in a season. At Newcastle, we were 3-2 up, you expect to win it and we dropped two points but that's the Premier League."
"I didn't expect Chelsea to drop points today as well, it can happen in any game and that's what makes the league so special. That's why so many people want to watch it and that's why we play at Christmas time."
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was still happy with the point at Goodison Park, with Everton continuing its impressive recent defensive record. “I am absolutely happy. I just said to the players that I am more happy today than the Brentford game.
"The reason why is because I was quite worried about this game. It is a tricky game, a tricky stadium, a tricky team.
“They are defensively top, they are one of the five best teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets, so you struggle to create chances. It was not an easy game and you have to deal and you have to learn to play different games - long ball, second ball, set pieces, it is not just about how good we can play on the ball, it is also how you defend and deal with that."