Portsmouth relegation fight: This is how survival can be confirmed
Portsmouth took one enormous leap towards Championship safety on Good Friday with a five-star, five-goal performance at Norwich City.
The rollercoaster 5-3 win saw the near-2,000 band of Pompey supporters in disbelief as the goals rained in past the Canaries’ defence, Colby Bishop netting a perfect hat-trick to bring his maiden Championship season tally into double figures.
The Blues can now potentially seal safety mathematically when they face Watford back at Fratton Park on Easter Monday (21 April).
Portsmouth survival path on Monday revealed
Portsmouth are edging closer to survival following weeks of uncertainty and anxiety, with the unimaginable threat of dropping straight back into League One looming.
While three clubs will suffer their fate on the wrong side of the Championship’s dotted line, some sections of their fans may even look positively at the new stadiums they will visit, and the nature of being a big fish in a far smaller pond.
For Pompey, it’s nothing of the sort. Supporters are sick to death of League One and would rather never be reminded of it again, at least until winning it this week last year.
BBC Radio Solent’s Andy Moon (19 April) shared a revised version of an initial post on Saturday, outlining the pathways in which Portsmouth can be 100 per cent safe by Monday.
Portsmouth are now six points clear of the relegation zone with just three fixtures remaining for each club. If Pompey beat Watford at Fratton on Monday, they are mathematically safe regardless.
Should Pompey draw the second part of their Easter weekend, they would need two of the following: Cardiff City to draw or lose; Luton Town to lose; Derby County to lose, or Hull City drawing and losing while Derby draw or even win.
If John Mousinho‘s men are beaten at home by Watford, a multitude of events must happen elsewhere for mathematical safety. Cardiff must lose, Plymouth Argyle must not win, and Hull must lose while Derby do not win.
Can I apologise for spreading fake news, here’s the situation for Monday…#Pompey win
— Andrew Moon (@mrandrewmoon) April 19, 2025
SAFE#Pompey Draw
Need 2
-Cardiff draw/lose
-Luton lose
-Derby lose
-Hull draw/lose & Derby draw/win#Pompey Loss
Need 3
-Plymouth draw/lose
-Cardiff lose
-Hull lose & Derby draw/lose
Pompey can lose all three and stay up
It sounds like a mouthful when read aloud from a screen, but the upshot is Portsmouth are in a superb position compared to before they went to Norwich and ran riot.
That third away win of the season was the best of the small selection, and it puts Pompey in a position now by which even with defeats in all three of their final games, they are highly likely to stay in the Championship.
| Portsmouth – final three | Date |
| Watford (H) | 21 April |
| Sheffield Wed (A) | 26 April |
| Hull (H) | 3 May |
While the Blues face Hull on the final day of the season at Fratton Park (3 May), the fact the Tigers face Derby County in the penultimate round of fixtures (26 April) makes a huge difference.
Many said one more win, and this is where it’s got Mousinho’s side. Yes, Pompey fans, it’s time to get excited about the return of a certain fixture next season.