Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Anthony Knockaert insists that the side know the stature of their upcoming four matches in the Premier League.
The Seagulls face opponents in the bottom half of the top flight in each of their next four encounters, and the Frenchman emphasised the significance of the run of fixtures.
He said, “It’s important [the upcoming run of matches] and we know that the next four games in the league are all massive.
“We’re ready for that and you can see we’re working hard every day.
“We knew it was going to be a tough season but we’re still in a good position, away from the bottom three, and now we have to make the most of our next few games and get some big points.
“We’re also aware of the tough run-in we have and that’s why the next few games are important.
“The top-six games are bonus games and they’re not easy against world-class players, but the next few are against teams where we need to take points, so we’ll be doing everything we can to do that.”
Glenn Murray’s late goal - his eighth of the season in all competitions - meant Chris Hughton’s men ended an away-goal drought that had previously stretched back to the start of November.
But Knockaert highlighted the character amongst both individuals and the collective team spirit in the dressing room throughout the campaign – regardless of results.
“We’re confident we’ll do well come the end of the season – I’m confident in both the players in the team and the spirit and character within the dressing room.
“We need to take it game by game now and make the most of every opportunity to perform and be as competitive as we can.
“We’d gone a while without an away goal, so it’s a good win for us and the confidence will be good now for the side going forward.
“To have the winning feeling back in the group before Wednesday against Southampton is important and now we can kick on."
The victory that secured the Seagulls’ place in the fifth round of the historic competition means that Albion are now one of 16 sides who will have their sights set on progressing further.
The wideman believes the side deserved to win the tight contest on Teesside, and that progression in the cup would benefit the whole squad.
“It’s nice to have an away win and the most important thing is to get through which we’ve managed to do at a tough place.
“We did well and did what we needed to do. Now we can look forward to the next round and the draw.
“Continuing in the competition is important for everyone – some players get chances and it’s always good to go as far as you can - we know that.”