Pompey’s promotion credentials will be put to the test in a mouth-watering run of fixtures leading up to Christmas.
It starts with Tuesday evening’s floodlit Fratton encounter with Charlton, while a trip to Barnsley follows before Sunderland visit the south coast.
Kenny Jackett does not believe these matches should be treated differently to the ones that have come before them.
But he understands why they will generate extra excitement and is looking forward to taking on the Addicks.
The Blues boss said: “They’re all big and I don’t think that Charlton is any more important than Southend was on Saturday.
“But we’ve got Barnsley and Sunderland coming up after that and they are great games for the players to look forward to.
"It shows you the strength of League One when sides like us are battling it out in the top six of the table."
“And that’s also true for the supporters because they’re against the sides currently around us in the table.
“You look at Charlton and they’re a genuinely big club with a very rich history – they were recently in the Premier League.
“They were play-off semi-finalists last season, so I’m sure will be looking to do better this time and get themselves back up.
“So it’s one we’re looking forward to, but we also realise that it’s going to be difficult and we’ll have to work to get anything out of it.
“It shows you the strength of League One when sides like us are battling it out in the top six of the table.”
Pompey will set a club record of nine successive victories in all competitions if they see off Lee Bowyer’s outfit.
Jackett said: “There is confidence in the side – which is something that’s hard to get in football and easy to give away.
“It’s a good thing, but we keep looking forward towards the next game and make sure we keep working hard.
“This is a very good division with some excellent sides in it and if we want to be successful then we have to maintain – and improve – our standards.
“We haven’t got a bad group here in terms of character and determination. They take responsibility – individually and collectively.
“That’s something we insist on at this club and I know they’ll prepare themselves and concentrate right the way through the season.”
Jackett has no new injury worries following Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Southend and could soon have another player available.
He said: “We’ll be selecting from the same group and there’s a reserve game at Bournemouth on Tuesday evening, in which Dion Donohue will play.
“He’s picked up a couple of injuries this season and we want to make sure that he comes back, but also stays back.”