Antonio Conte has warned his Chelsea players the Premier League title is not theirs to celebrate yet as his side seek to extend their lead at the top with victory in Saturday’s derby against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are nine points clear after Tuesday’s draw at Liverpool, with only Manchester City of the current top six having won in midweek. While that gap would appear daunting, the Italian has stressed there is still time for the chasing pack to apply pressure in what remains of the season.

“If someone thinks the league is finished, I’m not so sure,” said Conte. “I want to have the right tension [in my squad]. In the past I’ve fought to win the title as a player and as a manager and I know we must pay great attention. There are 15 games to play and a lot of great teams just behind us.”

Arsenal arrive at Stamford Bridge deflated by their shock 2-1 home defeat by Watford on Tuesday, the manager Arsène Wenger banned from the touchline and with their resources stretched by injury, particularly in midfield. Yet Conte stressed that it is always more important for him to concentrate on his own team’s performance rather than worry about the problems of others.

“It’s important and I like to repeat to my players: look at yourselves, not at others,” said Conte. “I’m sure it will be a really tough game [this weekend] and we must pay great attention. Arsenal beat us already in the first game [at the Emirates in September], and they have the possibility to repeat this in this game. For this reason we must be focused, stay in great concentration and have the same anger, the same will to fight and try to win.

“Now we have nine points more than Arsenal but, if we lose the game tomorrow, the points are down to six. For this reason we must pay great attention. In this moment it’s very important to exploit this momentum for us. We are in good shape. We are playing good football with good intensity. Tomorrow we have a good opportunity to show this.”

That chastening defeat at Arsenal proved the catalyst for Chelsea’s dramatic improvement under Conte, with his team winning 15 of their 17 Premier League games since the 3-0 reverse. They ended that afternoon on 24 September eight points behind Manchester City but have since established a 10-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s side to prompt the Spaniard’s admission in midweek that the title “is Chelsea’s to lose”.

“To answer Pep, the situation can change very quickly,” added Conte. “After 17 games the situation has changed this much. And there are 15 games left and we must pay great attention to reply to Pep.”