Chelsea defender David Luiz insisted he was relishing the challenge as the season the moves into its final third and the league leaders facing a testing home game against Everton on Saturday.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needled his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho last week by suggesting his side was afraid of failure, but Luiz insisted the battle for prizes is why he is at Chelsea.
"I love pressure," he said. "You don't need to take pressure off me because I love pressure and that's why I play for a big club - that's why I am here.
"We are not afraid, we are top of the league now, we are happy with this. We keep working hard every day. Of course I respect everyone, every team, but we need to do our job." Everton lie sixth in the table, eight points off fourth place but with a game in hand. They will be without injured striker Romelu Lukaku until the end of the month.
Arsenal, a point behind Chelsea, must put their Champions League disappointment behind them at home to third-bottom Sunderland.
Arsene Wenger's side lost 2-0 at home to Bayern Munich, and spent the last 53 minutes of the game playing with 10 men after Wojciech Szczesny was sent off.
Gus Poyet's side reached the last eight of the FA Cup last week, to go with a Capital One Cup final appearance at the beginning of next month, but skipper John O'Shea insisted the priority is staying up.
"Winning breeds confidence and we have to take that forward," he said.
Manchester City, two points behind Arsenal, are at home to Stoke City, who stand only three points clear of the drop zone.
Liverpool, having hammered Arsenal in their last home game, take on Swansea City on Sunday, while fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, flying under Tom Sherwood, go to struggling Norwich City.
Felix Magath takes charge of his first game as Fulham manager away against West Bromwich Albion, a battle of bottom against fourth-bottom.
Second-bottom Cardiff City face another team in the relegation fight as they take on a Hull side three points above the drop zone, while West Ham United, having pulled clear of danger with three straight wins, host Southampton.
