JULIO Arca believes the real pressure at the top of the Championship is all on Wigan and Ipswich, and Sunderland can turn up the heat on their promotion rivals before the Black Cats' two big clashes next month.

The Wearsiders travel to both Wigan and Ipswich in April but, according to the Argentinean, the fact that Sunderland's fate is in their own hands gives them that all-important psychological edge.

Table-topping Sunderland head south to the capital first a week tomorrow for a tough battle against play-off chasing Queens Park Rangers, and Arca knows victory then would pile even more pressure on the chasing pair.

Arca said: "It's good now to have that cushion between us and Ipswich in third place. We need to try and stretch that lead between us and third place before we play Ipswich and Wigan next month.

"We know we have the QPR game first but soon after that we have Wigan and Ipswich. They will be tough games - we're all fighting for promotion and for the title.

"The pressure now is pressure in a good way. We know what we have to do and there is pressure to continue winning but it's now in our own hands.

"We have been working all season to get into this position and now we are top with six or seven games to go it's up to us.

"It's good to go into this break at the top of the league. There's just four or five weeks left, which is nothing, and then we could be in the Premiership.

"It's starting to sink in now we are at the top of the league and the Premiership is there for us and we must now make sure we get there."

The 24-year-old, however, is taking nothing for granted, and has enough experience of the Championship to know there is no such thing as a certain result.

Last month's defeat at Brighton is a case in point, but the players now have a collective belief they are more than capable of burying last season's play-off heartache once and for all.

Arca said: "If we win six games then we get promotion. It's easy to say but it's a matter of doing it.

"But in this division you can never predict what's going to happen. Gillingham drawing with Ipswich and Forest drawing with Wigan last weekend shows that.

"Both those games were surprises so you can take nothing for granted.

"At the moment things are going well - better than expected. We're top and we must just keep winning games.

"This is the first time we've been top with a cushion.

"Last season it wasn't up to us. We were waiting for West Brom and Norwich to lose games.

"We had to win every game and hope them to slip up.

"This time it's Ipswich waiting for us and Wigan to slip up. We all go back to the changing rooms after every game and ask how have Wigan and Ipswich have done.

"I'm sure they do the same but the good thing is that it's in our hands now."

Despite promotion being the number one priority, Arca has admitted thoughts are already turning to lifting silverware in May.

He said: "Promotion is the important thing but when you're up there nobody wants to finish second - you want to win the title.

"It shouldn't really matter whether you finish first or second as long as you finish in the top two. But the players want to win the title."

Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland Under-21 boss Don Givens is certain Sunderland's Stephen Elliott will not be fazed by the demands of the Premiership next season.

Elliott's club form has not only steered McCarthy's side to the top of the Coca-Cola Championship, but also earned him a first senior call-up for a competitive match.

After 13 goals in 28 league starts for the Black Cats, Elliott will be on the bench for tomorrow's World Cup qualifier against Israel at the Ramat-Gan Stadium, instead of playing for the under-21s at the Herzliya Stadium later today.

Givens believes he will not see Elliott playing at under-21 level again, and even feels the 21-year-old is not far away from becoming Robbie Keane's regular partner.

''I think he's gone to the seniors for good and I'd be surprised if I had him back,'' said Givens.

''The front two are Robbie and Clinton, and I've a feeling it will not be too long before Stephen overtakes Clinton if his progress continues because he is a goalscorer and a hard worker.

''He is nothing special in build-up play and he doesn't have Robbie's inventiveness, but he knows where the goal is.

''If Sunderland go up, then nine times out of 10 they are going to struggle in games unless a miracle occurs and they invest heavily, which probably won't happen.

''They're going to be the poorer side in most of the games, so it will limit Stephen's opportunities.

''It will be a step up for him, but I expect him to hold his own.'