Antonio Conte was quick to temper Napoli's Scudetto expectations despite getting their Serie A title defence off to a winning start against Sassuolo.
Conte watched on as goals in either half from Scott McTominay and summer signing Kevin De Bruyne sealed a 2-0 win for Napoli at MAPEI Stadium on Saturday.
The result saw Napoli extend their unbeaten streak to 13 matches (W8 D5), which is the longest such run across the top five European leagues.
Only between April and November 2022 under Luciano Spalletti have Napoli gone on a longer stretch without defeat, going 19 matches without loss in Serie A.
Conte suggested that it would be difficult for his team to replicate their title success from last year as Napoli prepare to juggle European commitments with league action.
"It will be a very difficult and interesting campaign with seven or eight teams fighting for the Scudetto or Champions League qualification," Conte told reporters.
"We are trying to complete the structure of the squad, and it will require patience."