Southampton need to keep performing like a "machine" - as first-team star Finn Azaz has put it - in order to clinch a deserved spot among the Championship playoff elite.
Across their last 15 games in the ultra competitive division, only Norwich City has managed to pick up more points, with Tonda Eckert an absolute revelation at the helm, ever since he stepped into the dug-out in December to replace the clueless Will Still.
Indeed, 15 wins from 26 Championship games in charge is promotion-winning form, but the South Coast giants cannot afford to rest on their laurels, as they only sit in sixth spot on goal difference currently.
Wrexham are breathing down their neck, and with the Red Dragons' promotion-winning expertise seeing them rise from League Two to second tier, Phil Parkinson's men would love to capitalise on any weaknesses they can sense.
Derby County are only three points behind, as well, on 60 points, with one misfire potentially proving to be very costly.
There is another argument to be had here, as well, with a push further up the division not out of the question.
Only six points separate Southampton in that final spot inside the coveted top six from Ipswich Town, sat in third, with Saints captain Jack Stephens setting his teammates a challenge, ahead of Championship action returning after the long international break.
Stephens sets challenge ahead of run-in
While the likes of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Daniel Peretz have rightly been showered with praise in recent weeks, for their key roles in Southamption being so staunch at the back, Stephens has gone under the radar for his polished displays.
The loyal Saints servant has helped himself to eight clean sheets from 27 second-tier starts this season, with a staggering 112 accurate passes amassed by the 32-year-old, during the straightforward 2-0 victory over Oxford United.
His steady presence could be key, as the nerves are ramped up between now and May rolling around, considering the number five has been here before under Russell Martin, as the playoffs were secured during the 2023/24 season.
Southampton raced into fourth that time around, and has been mentioned, they could strive to finish that high up again, this time.
Stephens expects more than just the play-offs
Stephens reckons his high-flying team could do even better than just settling for that final playoff position, with the long-standing Saints servant full to the brim with confidence, when speaking to BBC Radio Solent, after the 2-0 U's victory.
He said: "As you've seen over the past week, we went to Coventry and played really well. We played well in the first half against Norwich and showed fight.
On Saturday, we went 2-0 early and cruised to victory. We are in the play-offs for now. We want to stay there and chase some more teams down."
The last part of his comments stands out the most, with Stephens daring his team to 'chase' down the likes of Ipswich, to really leave their mark in the playoff picture.
You might think Stephens has already satisfied his promotion appetite when he steered his beloved side to a playoff triumph at Wembley in 2024.
But, it's clear he still has a thirst that needs to be quenched, with all the talk coming out of the Saints camp right now, indicating that confidence is sky-high.
Hopefully, this confidence isn't trampled on, with Eckert desperate to be a promotion-winning manager, alongside Stephens being a promotion-winning captain, again.