Credit: Imago

Edward Bazeley

Tue 15 April 2025 13:30, UK

Portsmouth’s relegation rivals Hull earned a 1-1 draw with playoff chasers Coventry on Monday.

John Mousinho’s men have not won since their 1-0 win over Blackburn on 29 March and sit four points above the relegation zone, one point above 20th-place Hull.

Pompey looked destined to suffer a defeat against fellow relegation battlers Derby on Saturday, but defender Rob Atkinson scored a last-minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Portsmouth set to avoid the drop to League One

Pompey are yet to secure their Championship status after winning the League One title last season, while Hull’s draw with Coventry on Monday provided another twist in the relegation battle.

But Opta’s supercomputer has predicted that Mousinho’s men have just a 4.82 per cent chance of being relegated back to the third tier.

Portsmouth are set to face Norwich on Friday, and a win could be vital for their survival chances.

Portsmouth have favourable fixtures in their relegation battle

With just four games left to play, the Championship relegation battle has reached its crunch time, and Portsmouth are still one of the teams vying to avoid the drop.

But the good news for Mousinho’s men is that three of their last four fixtures come against sides whose seasons are all but over already.

With so little time left in the campaign, every point matters for all the clubs who are still hoping to avoid the drop and for those who boast promotion or playoff aspirations.

But Pompey still have to face Norwich, Watford, and Sheffield Wednesday, who have all secured their Championship safety but have also seen their respective top-six chances slip away.

That trio of fixtures makes for an ideal run-in for Pompey, who will be grateful that they no longer have to face any of the promotion chasers.

Mousinho and Co will hope to guarantee their second-tier status before facing relegation rivals Hull on the last game of the season on 3 May.