Norwich manager Daniel Farke wants his side to embrace their status as Championship front-runners.
The high-flying Canaries kept their promotion rivals at arm’s length with a ruthless 4-1 victory over Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.
Only five points separate the top six as the competition heads into the congested Christmas period, but Farke has told his side to not look back as they aim to return to the Premier League after a two year absence.
“To be at the top with so many points after 18 games is outstanding, but it’s no coincidence,” said the Norwich manager.
“A third of the season is done and we’re in a good position, but we know each and every win is based on hard work.
“At the moment we are focused, disciplined and concentrated on every small situation which is important for us and hopefully we can push on.
“We have great commitment and togetherness and we all believe we can be up there.
“We know we cant lose the ground under our feet and enjoy ourselves too much because this league is so close and every game is so difficult.
“We know there are clubs with bigger budgets and bigger opportunities but we are enjoying the moment and there isn’t so much pressure. But we are also greedy to win as many points as possible and that’s what we will try to do.”
It took only 16 minutes for Farke’s men to take punish Swansea for their first defensive mishap of the afternoon.
Swansea skipper van der Hoorn was forced to live out every defender’s worst nightmare when he diverted the ball into his own net after Pukki’s perfectly weighted ball to the back post.
Swansea kept their hand down on the self-destruct button eight minutes later when Bersant Celina was robbed of the ball on the edge of his own area by Buendia, who kept his cool to place a shot into the back of the net.
Stiepermann guaranteed the points when he tapped in Max Aarons’ cross from close range after another spell of devastating interplay.
Daniel James briefly lifted the gloom with his first league goal, but Pukki scored his 10th to condemn Swansea to a 4-1 defeat.
Swansea had won three of their last four matches, but pressed the self destruct button to ensure they would not be returning to the play-off places.
“To improve you have to have a bit of suffering and go through setbacks and it’s how we respond as a group and as a team,” said Swans boss Graham Potter. “We will find out about that. There’s no time for us to feel sorry for ourselves, we have a big game and a tough game coming up in midweek.
“It was a tough afternoon. The scoreline makes it an uncomfortable afternoon for us.
“I thought we started well, we controlled the first 15 minutes or so, but then we make a bit of a mistake for their first goal and then it is a learning point for us in terms of ensuring we manage that disappointment and stay in the game for longer.
“All credit to Norwich, over the course of the game they deserved to win, they were the better team and attacked and defended well.
“But I think we contributed a little bit more to their performance than we would like, but that is where we are at.”
