Watford may have a nine-point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone, but Sebastian Prodl is refusing to take Premier League survival for granted.

Recent wins over Everton and West Brom, both by a 1-0 scoreline, took the Hornets to 36 points and relieved some of the pressure surrounding their ongoing survival battle.

Prodl accepts Watford, who were brought back down to earth with a 3-0 loss at Arsenal last time out, are masters of their own destiny, but insists they can’t afford to drop off.

“At the moment there is nothing to celebrate, everybody is alert about the situation and everyone knows that 14 teams in the Premier League are fighting relegation,” Prodl said.

“I think we are still in this fight, but we are in pole position. I think we need to make sure we know we’re in a good position, but that it isn’t finished yet.”

Watford’s situation certainly looks a lot rosier than it did a month ago and Javi Gracia’s arrival at the club has yielded 10 points from six Premier League games.

The manager himself is putting no points target on Watford’s season, but that is not an approach Prodl subscribes to.

Instead the Austrian centre-back, who has established himself at the heart of Watford’s defence after a slow start to the campaign, believes 40 points – the preordained seal of survival – will be enough to keep Watford in the top tier.

“No, [we are not safe yet]. I think 36 points isn’t enough to stay in the Premier League,” the 30-year-old explained.

“I think we have to make sure we get these points as quick as possible to get to the 40 point mark, then we can be a little relived.

“So we need to get these points as quick as possible and be safe.”

Watford and Prodl will continue their quest to secure a fourth straight year of Premier League football against Liverpool tomorrow.

The quarter-finals of the FA Cup takes centre stage this weekend meaning the Premier League is running a reduced schedule of four games.

A surprise victory at Anfield could, therefore, see the Hornets put a 12-point gap between themselves and the bottom three, dependant on Stoke City and Crystal Palace’s respective results.