The full-back, whose stoppage-time penalty clinched the Toffees' first league win of the season against the Latics, accepts the challenge to even maintain last term's fifth-place finish will be tougher than ever this campaign.

Everton fans saw the debuts of £10million Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and £5million defender Sylvain Distin at Goodison Park yesterday, with boss David Moyes promising two more new faces before the transfer window shuts tomorrow.

They are likely to include Dutch centre-back Johnny Heitinga, while Moyes is also chasing Tottenham midfielder David Bentley and Valencia winger Ever Banega.

Moyes has agreed a £5million fee with Atletico Madrid for Heitinga, but touched on problems over wages, saying: "We have not got to the personal terms stage yet, I hope to have the chance soon."

For Baines, it was just important to get Everton's season on track after starting the Wigan game bottom of the table.

He said: "There are new players here and more arriving. The feel about the place is that we are moving up to a different level with a bigger and more experienced squad.

"That is positive. We already have some fine players here with terrific youngsters already here, now we have added top internationals to that group with more to come.

"We have had such a small squad, and that has hindered us in the past. But now the situation is changing and we can all now move on into the new season with confidence.

"We have to keep pace. You look at what other teams have done in the summer, clubs we finished above last season. Aston Villa, Manchester City and Spurs have all spent big and added good new players.

"They have brought in quality players and they had all started the season well. We had struggled a bit, so the win over Wigan has got us up and running.

"It is a challenge for us, we know we have to perform even better than last season now just to maintain what we achieved."

Everton got their season going in midweek by completing a Europa League play-off success over Sigma Olomouc, 5-1 on aggregate.

Baines said: "It was important to qualify for the group stages in Europe too. Last season we didn't manage to do that by getting past the qualifying round and we felt that all our good work in getting to that stage had been wasted.

"But we have done it this time and I can't wait for the Europa League games to start.

"We are also relieved to have won a league game at last. Now it is important to kick on, to go on a winning run and for me as well to maintain some consistency.

"I've had a taste of the England squad so the World Cup finals are always at the back of your mind, I just have to play well and hope to impress the England coach.

"I am keen to get back into that. But that will only happen if my own form is good and the team continue to do well.

"We couldn't afford to go into the two-week international break without getting a league victory on the board. The whole place will feel a lot more positive now we have got that win.

"If you go into the break without a victory it leaves everybody tense and uncertain."

Baines was grateful to overcome a physical Wigan side, who had six players booked.

He said: "I got a size 10 in the face at one point. But we can handle that, we can get physical if that is what is needed.

"If teams come here and want to mix it, we can handle it. We have a lot of lads who can be physical and we are ready for that challenge if teams want to come here and play that way.

"We can handle that and play a bit of good football as well. We are up for that sort of challenge."

For new Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, there are clearly teething problems as his side lost for the fourth time in succession.

He said: "Football is a cruel game. We have a big turnaround in players, we have lost half a dozen who were very important and we are now building a new team with a completely different way to play.

"That will take time. But our performances in the league are improving. Too many people are only guided by results while I am guided by performance. We will get the rewards further down the line."

Martinez refused to apologise for his side's physical approach.

He said: "You have to be tough mentally and brave to get on the ball and play the way you want.

"You must be aware who you are playing against and for this game the threat was aerial power.

"We will continue to work in the transfer market to the end of the deadline to strengthen us. We have some injury problems and we do not want to leave the squad too light."