Brentford head coach Thomas Frank feels small margins will prove the difference as his look to extend their unbeaten Premier League run.
The Bees hosts west London rivals Fulham on Monday night having not lost in the past 11 league games, a run stretching back to late October.
Frank, though, maintains it is more about staying focused on delivering the consistent displays which have seen them climb up into the top half of the table.
“I don’t speak about winning or losing – I speak about performing well,” the Brentford boss said.
“I am speaking about if we do our job and we perform well, then we will have a good chance to win.
“Of course, it’s the Premier League – the greatest and most difficult league in the world. The margins are so small.
“Speaking about our opponent on Monday, historically, they are a bigger club than us and they are above us in the table right now, but we know and believe in ourselves that we have a good chance of winning.
“I try to keep reinforcing the right messages in terms of the performance aspect.
“We constantly need to work hard – that’s the key thing. We can’t be complacent or think it will come by itself, those are the things I try to reinforce constantly.”
Fulham have impressed on their return to the Premier League, sitting seventh as they head into the next round of fixtures.
The Bees were beaten 3-2 at Craven Cottage in August, when a last-minute goal from Aleksandar Mitrovic settled what had been an entertaining first Premier League encounter between the two rival clubs.
Frank is expecting another “feisty” encounter with their west London neighbours at the Gtech Community Stadium under the floodlights on Monday evening.
“I am really looking forward to it and I know our fans are looking forward to it,” the Brentford boss said at a press conference.
“My experiences of our games against Fulham are that they are feisty and very good games.
“It is two teams who want to press with intensity and work very hard. Hopefully we can edge it.”
Frank feels the fact both clubs are now competing well away from the relegation zone deserves acknowledgement.
“What a moment in Fulham’s history, and our history, to face each other in the best league in the world, with both teams in the top half (of the table),” he said.
“I am pleased about that, and also for Fulham because it just gives the game a little more bite to the game.”
