Portsmouth

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

That match will not live long in the memory. I've already tried to forget most of it and I sympathise with those who have to watch it back for analysis purposes.

But it doesn't matter. All that was relevant for Pompey was getting three points and they found a way.

John Mousinho admitted it was a poor first half but once they took the lead after the break they never looked like relinquishing it.

New signings Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams both showed signs of promise. Adams will surely start the next match.

Portsmouth still need further signings. They'll need to play better than this but it's now 11 points from the past six matches. They keep fighting and continue to remain above the dotted line.

Image source, Getty Images

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho admitted the result was what really mattered as they beat Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough.

Victory was their first in 2026 and eases relegation fears, while also avenging a loss to the Owls earlier in the campaign.

"This is not an easy place to come and It was a difficult fixture for us to come and face and deal with, it was just a case of making sure we came away from here with three points," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"We looked a bit better in the second half but I still think we could do better, we're just waiting for some of our attacking presence to come back."

Mousinho praised goalscorer Adrien Segecic's performance but said he wanted his side to push on for a second goal which never came.

"It was a great finish by Segs (Segecic) who was playing out of position but he took his chance when it came to him, it was one of his better games for us.

"I felt confident but I never felt comfortable but we completely controlled the game after we scored, I was hoping we could get the second but we weren't able to today."

Portsmouth have agreed a fee of £500k for Derby County's Gambian midfielder Ebou Adams, 30. (The News, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

Image source, Opta

Sheffield Wednesday will seek to compete an unlikely Championship double when Portsmouth head to Hillsborough on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The rock-bottom Owls have won just once this season, 2-0 at Fratton Park in September.

Their points deduction and negative goal difference means they are effectively 33 points from safety, with 21st-placed Pompey the side they are chasing.

The Blues have taken one point from their past six on the road, losing without scoring on four of those occasions.

• Sheffield Wednesday are unbeaten in their past eight league games against Portsmouth (W5 D3) since losing 3-1 in November 2002.

• Portsmouth have lost on one of their past six league visits to Sheffield Wednesday (W2 D3), losing 4-1 in League One in April 2022.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won one of their past 27 league games (D10 L16) but that win was against Portsmouth earlier this season. The last time a second tier side's first two wins in a season were against the same opponent was in 1974/75, two wins for Portsmouth against Nottingham Forest.

• Portsmouth have conceded 15 goals from set pieces in the Championship this season – the only side to concede more is Sheffield Wednesday (17). All four goals they shipped against Arsenal in their FA Cup third round defeat were also via set pieces.

• Sheffield Wednesday have gone 19 consecutive Championship matches without a win. In second tier history, the only sides to go 20+ games without a win in a season are Darwen in 1898-99 (27), Barnsley in 1952-53 (23), Cambridge United in 1983-84 (31) and Rotherham in 2004-05 (20).

Image source, Rex Features

Portsmouth defender Tom McIntyre has returned from his loan spell at Bradford City after a four-month spell at Valley Parade.

The centre-back moved to Valley Parade in September on a season-long agreement and made 11 appearances across all competitions for the Bantams who lie third in League One.

This was McIntyre's second loan spell during his time at Pompey, also spending time at Charlton last season where he played 10 times.

The 27-year-old joined the Blues in 2024 from Reading where he came through their academy and made over 100 appearances for the first team.

Portsmouth are in advanced talks to sign Luton forward Millenic Alli. (Football League World), external

He only joined The Hatters in January 2025.

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

"I thought the atmosphere was brilliant, the intensity was really good. It's not a surprise they couldn't quite play at that intensity for 90 minutes but if they could just have held that 1-0 lead for a bit longer they might have got Arsenal a bit concerned and under pressure.

"Everyone there will have been encouraged by the performance, and it was a great moment for Colby Bishop.

"It was a tactically brave Portsmouth performance but it absolutely worked. They got Arsenal rattled."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon discuss the good, the bad and the set-pieces as Pompey bowed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, plus take a look at the Blues' lengthy injury list and answer your questions in Moon's Musings.

Listen to the full episode of Who Needs Mourinho? on BBC Sounds.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho has ruled set-pieces as the deciding factor as his side fall to a 4-1 loss to Premier League leaders Arsenal in the FA Cup.

Three of the Gunners' four goals at Fratton Park came directly from corners, with the first off Pompey midfielder Andre Dozzell for an own goal.

Gabriel Martinelli helped himself to two near post headers as he claimed a hat-trick taking the number of goals Pompey have conceded from corners and free-kicks this season to 18, in all competitions.

"You've got to take the last little spell out of the game with 10 men and also towards the end getting a bit tired - but I thought we were right at it," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"I thought we were well in the game, I thought for parts we were the better side.

"The difference in the game was the set-pieces.

"The delivery [of set-pieces from Arsenal] is excellent and the way they attack the ball with aggression is brilliant, but we just didn't match that. We didn't match the level of intensity and aggression that was shown.

"It was pretty tight apart from the set-pieces. They are part of the game so we've got to be better at them."

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

While John Mousinho has usually rested players for cup matches, it was sensible going close to full strength for Arsenal.

What he got was a good performance except in one area.

Set-pieces were always going to be a potential issue. Conceding from three of the first four corners they faced is extremely disappointing, even noting how good Arsenal are from dead balls.

This undid a lot of other good work from Pompey. They pressed and hassled Arsenal with real intensity and aggression early on and unsettled them.

Colby Bishop's goal was a great moment for him and it is always a joy to be at Fratton Park when it's that loud.

Arsenal would probably have found a way to win without the set-piece goals but it could have been a fascinating spectacle if they had not been handed a 'get out of jail free' card.

Pundits Dion Dublin and Phil Jones join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to selected full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Derby County 1-3 Leeds United

• Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal

• Norwich City 5-1 Walsall

• West Ham United 2-1 Queens Park Rangers

There are eight third-round ties in the FA Cup on Sunday - as Premier League and Championship teams enter the competition - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Derby v Leeds (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Derby & BBC Radio Leeds

• Portsmouth v Arsenal (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Radio Solent

• Hull v Blackburn (14:30) - BBC Radio Humberside & BBC Radio Lancashire

• Norwich v Walsall (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, BBC Radio Norfolk & BBC Radio WM

• Sheff Utd v Mansfield (14:30) - BBC Radio Sheffield & BBC Radio Nottingham

• Swansea v West Brom (14:30)

• West Ham v QPR (14:30) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Radio London

• Man Utd v Brighton (16:30) - BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Sussex

Kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

And find out how to follow the FA Cup across the BBC this weekend here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Derby County v Leeds United" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Portsmouth v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Arsenal will definitely make changes here, but it won't make any difference.

Portsmouth are in trouble at the bottom of the Championship and they look short of what is required there, let alone against the Premier League leaders - or even their reserves.

Sutton's prediction: 0-3

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

On the surface Portsmouth aren't in a bad position. Their key objective this season is to stay in the Championship. They are currently a point above the bottom three with at least one game in hand on the sides around them.

However, a quick look under the bonnet and things are a little more concerning. The injury crisis has reached epic proportions and there are key absentees.

On Thursday it was confirmed Mark Kosznovszky will miss the rest of the season and some of the next. Hayden Matthews and Josh Knight are both set for extended spells on the sidelines. More bodies into a busy treatment room.

The real issue is going forward. Callum Lang and Josh Murphy could both miss the rest of the month.

Lang only returned recently from a hamstring injury and scored a brilliant goal against Derby County. Murphy has been carrying an injury most of the season but has still produced moments of real quality.

The combination of those two injuries, Colby Bishop's injury and lack of form and Conor Chaplin's surprising lack of impact since joining leave Portsmouth lacking firepower.

The owners have stuck to their goals of trying to be close to breaking even on the football side of the business while investing in the club's infrastructure. They've achieved a fair amount with it.

For that model to remain successful and for Pompey to stay in the Championship is going to require a number of rabbits to be pulled from the hat in this transfer window.

Sporting director Richard Hughes has made a number of decent signings in his time and John Mousinho remains an excellent manager, but this is asking a lot.

We've reached the point where crazy spending by other clubs and a horrendous injury list mean maintaining the current spending model and Championship status may not be possible.