TIM Krul insists buoyant Newcastle United now “believe” that they belong in the top five of the Premier League.

United’s gutsy defeat of Blackburn Rovers lifted them into the rarefied air of fifth in the table, above both Arsenal and Liverpool – two sides who began the season with ambitions of challenging for the title.

It was an against-the-odds victory that showcased all of the qualities that have propelled Alan Pardew’s side into European contention this season, a remarkable achievement considering some pundits tipped Newcastle for relegation after a summer of upheaval.

Krul acknowledges that many may not fancy high-flying United to end the season where they are now, but he says there are no longer any doubters within the dressing room.

“We are 23 games in and we’re fifth. That is no fluke, we deserve that position and that gives us the belief that we can really achieve something this season,” he said.

“Of course we believe in ourselves now. We deserve to be there and it is up to us now. We’ve had a disappointing couple of games and we know what was being said outside the club, but we always believe in each other.

“That is the most important thing for this season. We know what our targets are and believe me, we’re far above them. We’re flying, to be honest – our confidence is sky-high and we’re more than ready for Sunday’s game.”

Resilience has been a key factor for Newcastle this season – with Pardew particularly pleased at the way they have reacted to a slew of injury setbacks.

Yohan Cabaye’s unjust suspension once again brought out the best in United, with the France schemer’s replacement, Ryan Taylor, notching a deflected goal to get the Blackburn game off to a flier and fringe man James Perch stepping in to great effect at half-time.

Krul says United don’t fear anyone – or anything – after the season they’ve had.

He said: “We’ve seen everything at this club over the last few years and we’ve had lots thrown at us already this season. But everyone believes in each other, everyone works for each other and that’s the most important thing.

“It’s 11 people on the pitch who really just want to work hard for each other, they want to win for each other and they are desperate to do well.

“The major plus over the last few weeks has just been the attitude of the boys. We said before the Blackburn game that if

our attitude is right then we can beat anyone in the league and we firmly believe that,” he said.