Worrying statistic shows root of Portsmouth’s attacking woes, only Sheffield United are worse
Portsmouth’s 2025/26 campaign so far has been solid, with Pompey comfortably mid-table.
While the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Fratton Park last weekend was a concern, there is hope that the loss is simply a blip.
However, while the start of the campaign may have been positive, one issue has consistently been highlighted.
In Portsmouth’s first six Championship matches, they have only mustered four goals, the second-lowest in the division.
Now, it has become apparent why Pompey are struggling to score in the division.
Portsmouth fail to take their chances in the Championship
While Portsmouth may not be scoring in the Championship, they are making plenty of chances for themselves.
According to Opta on 25 September, Pompey have created an 8.17xG, the 10th highest in the division.
Yet, this has only resulted in four goals, giving the South Coast club an underperformance of -4.17, with only Southampton and Sheffield United having a worse ratio.
| Worst xG ratios in the Championship this season | |
| Sheffield United | -4.84 |
| Southampton | -4.54 |
| Portsmouth | -4.17 |
| Birmingham City | -3.62 |
| Blackburn Rovers | -2.92 |
Much of this is down to their conversion rate, with Portsmouth only scoring 4.94 per cent of their shots, with only the Blades being lower at 1.37 per cent.
Florian Bianchini and Colby Bishop are two of the biggest contributors to Portsmouth’s attacking woes.
Bishop has a negative xG of -2.11 after only finding the net once, while the Swansea loanee is yet to score despite accumulating an xG of 1.02.
John Mousinho may have to be ruthless in his lineup
Simply put, this cannot afford to go on in the Championship. If Portsmouth continue to squander their chances, they will soon find themselves looking over their shoulders.
Mousinho cannot allow this to happen and should look to make changes to his lineup if this goes on.
If this means dropping players like Bishop in search of goals, so be it, and Pompey could easily be in the playoffs right now if their chances were converted.
Hopefully, Portsmouth will find their feet again in front of goal, starting with Saturday’s game against Ipswich Town.
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