IT can be argued that Sunderland’s Carabao Cup run is having a detrimental impact on their league performances, but Lee Johnson claims the club’s progress to the last eight of the knockout competition could enable them to complete an extra couple of signings in January.

Sunderland will head to the Emirates to face Arsenal next month, and with the match having been selected as one of Sky Sports’ two televised quarter-finals, the Black Cats are set for a bumper pay day no matter what happens in North London.

Last month’s fourth-round win at QPR was a notable victory, but it preceded heavy league defeats to Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday that have left Sunderland five points adrift of the automatic-promotion places.

In previous seasons, lengthy cup runs have been cited as an explanation for the Black Cats’ failure to finish in the top two, but while similar murmurings have been increasingly evident in the last few weeks, Johnson maintains there are a number of positive elements to Sunderland’s Carabao Cup form, not least the financial benefits ahead of the opening of the January window.

“We want to create a winning environment and a winning atmosphere,” said Johnson, whose side return to knockout action on Saturday when they host League Two Mansfield Town in the FA Cup first round. “We’ve lost three league games, but we had a great win at the middle at QPR that’s now put us into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

“Getting to that stage provides another set of funds, which is important. It might potentially allow us to go again (in January), and maybe patch up a couple of areas that we’ve been a bit light on.”

Tuesday’s defeat at Hillsborough followed hot on the heels of Saturday’s thrashing at Rotherham, and means Sunderland have conceded eight goals in their last two games.

The back-to-back defeats have left them in fifth position, albeit with a game in hand on all of the teams above them, and raised questions about the viability of their push for automatic promotion.

Johnson accepts he has issues to address, but remains convinced his side are capable of finishing in the top two. In fact, his clearly-stated ambition remains to claim the title.

“We’re not far off top spot, with a game in hand, and I’m definitely still looking at top place,” he said. “That’s my mentality, and that won’t change. I don’t mean that to come across as delusional or disrespectful, but my focus is to try to find the solutions to get enough result to keep ploughing towards that top spot.”

Sunderland have two cup matches before they return to league duty with a home game on Ipswich on November 20 – Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Mansfield and Tuesday’s final Papa John’s Trophy group game against Bradford.

The side for the Papa John’s game will be extremely youthful, but tomorrow’s starting line-up should be stronger, with Nathan Broadhead expected to start as he continues to ease himself back to full fitness.

The striker was a second-half substitute at Hillsborough on Tuesday, and Johnson expects his return to have a major impact on the strength and variety of Sunderland’s attacking options.

“It was brilliant to see Nathan back,” he said. “That gives us a completely different dynamic. It stretches teams and opens up the pockets. It gives that energy and fitness of a young player, then you start playing higher up the pitch and it mitigates a lot of stuff because you are stretching the opposition.”