Southampton Women ace makes ‘Massive’ derby admission as Portsmouth eye revenge mission
Portsmouth’s senior men’s side have not faced arch-rivals Southampton in any competition since 2019, but it is a different story for the Women’s team.
Next season could provide John Mousinho’s side with the opportunity to face Southampton in a local derby, with the Saints facing relegation from the Premier League, but Pompey will hope for more success in this fixture across the whole club.
Portsmouth Women have faced Southampton Women twice this season, with Pompey falling to heavy defeats on both occasions.
Now, Southampton Women midfielder Aimee Palmer has spoken about the importance of the rivalry, ahead of the derby on 22 March.
Aimee Palmer speaks ahead of Southampton Women vs Portsmouth Ladies
With the two sides set to face each other on Saturday, Southampton Women star Palmer has emphasised the importance of the game, with the Saints currently winless in eight matches.
“Going into the game, we know we’ve got to be at our best,” she told the Daily Echo (20 March).
“We have always got to be at our best, but more so because it’s a derby as well.
“We’re not going to think any less of them because we’ve beat them twice before. It’s going to be a big game for both of us.
| Derby Clash | Result |
| October 2024 (League) | 0-5 loss |
| November 2024 (League Cup) | 0-4 loss |
“They’ve got more to fight for, so obviously they’re going to bring their A-game, but I think we’ve kind of turned a corner now. Our performance against Birmingham was good.
“It was better than our previous performances, so it’s just about us building on that and finally getting the results together.”
The derby will see two teams who are drastically out of form face each other, and this could be the perfect opportunity for revenge for Portsmouth.
Portsmouth Ladies have revenge opportunity vs Southampton
Portsmouth Women now have a huge chance to write the wrongs of previous derby matches with Southampton.
Their last two encounters ended 4-0 and 5-0 to the Saints, but they have not won a single game since their last derby victory.
Pompey are ninth in the WSL Second Division, one place below Southampton, but are nine points behind them. A victory on Saturday would help bridge this gap, and would mean revenge against their bitter rivals after two heavy defeats earlier this season.