Lee Johnson is relishing the opportunity for his Sunderland side to show what they can do on the big stage, as they prepare for tonight's Carabao Cup quarter-final at Arsenal.
The Black Cats take on the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium this evening in the last eight of the competition, with the tie screened live on Sky Sports.
For once, Sunderland will find themselves cast in the role of the underdog against Premier League opposition, rather than their usual status as favourites in League One games.
But for Johnson this is a chance for his team to enact his philosophy against a top flight team, and while he accepts that there is a huge gulf in quality between the sides, he believes hard work and tactical nous can narrow the gap.
"It's a chance for us to show what we can do on the big stage," he said.
"The lads have got to enjoy it and go there with no fear.
"It will be interesting to see how we cope when we are the underdog, how we respond to that.
"We are going to have spells without the ball, we have to understand that, and therefore we have to maximise our time on the ball.
"We also need to be a real team off-the-ball, be compact in shape, and ready to break.
"But I do think we have players who can cause any team a problem.
"Our challenge is to disrupt Arsenal enough so that we can get some sort of flow when we're on the ball.
"We've got good players - the midfield three, we've got good ball manipulators out wide, the forwards can hold the ball but they can also run.
"I don't think it's an easy game for anyone when they play Sunderland, but obviously the proof is in the pudding and we have to see how we get on tonight."
Johnson reached the semi-finals of this competition with Bristol City in 2018, before losing 5-3 on aggregate to Manchester City.
But while he is happy to have taken Sunderland to the quarter-final stage, he insists his preparation and attention to detail will be no different to that for any game.
He said: "It's not about me. It's nice to deliver games like this to the fanbase, they deserve it, and it's also recognition for the players' hard work.
"A lot of these guys wouldn't have experienced this before, and it will be the first time in their lives that they have been in an arena like this.
"We have to make sure that we show up, but for me I will just remain fully-focused, the same as I would be if we were playing Lincoln away in the EFL Trophy - it's no different for me, the preparation is the same.
"We just have to find every minute detail to turn the level of quality that they have got and that we have got in our favour.
"And it can be done. It's been done before, and it will be done again."
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