The chance of a top-10 Premier League finish is spurring on Norwich City during this season's final weeks – if only to emphasis the club's meteoric rise, says Andrew Surman.

Having achieved successive promotions on their return to the top flight, a top-half finish this term would add another marker to one of the most successful periods in the Canaries' history.

City have only finished in the top 10 of English football on five occasions, with 10th-placed finishes in 1975-76 and 1989-90, plus fifth in 1986-87, fourth in 1988-89 and third in the Premier League's inaugural season of 1992-93.

A tough quartet of fixtures to round off the current campaign may prove to be a bridge too far for Norwich this time.

But Surman admits the Canaries want momentum to carry into their second Premier League season, shaking off their 6-1 mauling by title hopefuls Manchester City on Saturday in the process.

'You want to finish with a positive frame of mind heading into the summer, and we want to finish as high as we can in the Premier League because the higher we finish the more of an achievement this is,' said the 25-year-old. 'So we want to keep pushing.

'We don't want to let the season peter out and we end up finishing 16th or 17th. We want to really push on and see if we can finish in the top half.

'We are not in a relaxed frame of mind yet and I don't think the gaffer allows that really. Everyone wants to finish with a flourish and see how many points we can get.

'We've got some big games coming up with Blackburn, Liverpool, Arsenal and Villa. They are all top sides in the Premier League so they're going to be tough, we know that.

'And we know if we take our foot off the gas you can end up being on the end of a hiding again, like Saturday.

'So we need to push through and end the season on a high. We've got four games left and we'll aim to get 12 points out of those four games, and there's no reason why we shouldn't.'

Relegation-haunted Rovers await at Ewood Park this weekend, a game most would have seen as a relegation clash before the season got into gear. Thankfully, Norwich put those worries to bed some time ago.

'I'm sure a lot of people would've looked at it like that at the start of the season – it's going to be a tough game and they are fighting for their lives,' added Surman.

'I know we are a few places above them but it never quite works out like that. They've got a lot to play for, as we have, so it should be an entertaining game.'

When Norwich suffered their 5-1 defeat at the Etihad in December, they responded with a run of one defeat in their next eight matches – and Surman believes Norwich can do so again after Saturday's heavier, albeit harsh scoreline.

'You've got to take the positives out of the game; it's disappointing but you realise they are pushing for the title and we competed for most of it,' said Surman, who scored his fifth goal of the season at the weekend, in his 26th appearance.

'I'm pleased with my that, but really I'm just pleased I've played a good amount of games this season. And to chip in with a few goals, being quite an attacking midfielder, then it's always pleasing.

'It's my first proper season in the Premier League so I'm pleased with that return and hopefully it will continue.'