Portsmouth vs Sheffield United – Preview | OneFootball

Sheffield United will travel to Fratton Park on Saturday afternoon to face Portsmouth, who are still searching for their first win since being promoted to the Championship last season.

The Blades are coming into this match off the back of a third consecutive victory and clean sheet, after seeing out a 1-0 win over newly promoted Derby County, and they remain one of only three teams to still be riding an unbeaten wave in the Championship.

Heading into back-to-back games against newly promoted teams, United face a long trip down to the South Coast, where it has been a difficult start for John Mousinho’s side. Portsmouth faced Burnley last time out but they were beaten 2-1 at Turf Moor. They did actually take the lead in the game but keeping the ball out of the back of the net has been the issue.

Transfer business

John Mousinho made over a dozen signings in the summer transfer window with the likes of Andre Dozzell, Matt Ritchie and Josh Murphy coming through the door.

The issue with that for me is simply their availability history, and already that seems to be plaguing them with Murphy, who has only been available for two of the opening six league games. Murphy will be one of the highest earners at the club, and they’ve brought him in as a key player to try and help guide them to safety, as have Ritchie and Dozzell – but to be fair to them they’ve been available for selection so far.

A decent signing that Portsmouth have made in my opinion is Elias Sorensen who absolutely crushed the Danish second division last term, scoring 23 goals and providing 11 assists in 30 appearances for Esbjerg. The forward got off to a flying start in the first division with them as well scoring once and registering four assists across two games before signing for Portsmouth, where he has one goal in four starts.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Portsmouth Head Coach / Manager John Mousinho reacts to Marlon Pack of Portsmouth during the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley FC and Portsmouth FC at Turf Moor on September 21, 2024 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty Images)

Team news

Chris Wilder revealed to the public on Thursday afternoon that Oliver Arblaster will not be available for this clash as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, and the Blades’ boss did not give a time frame on his recovery period.

Meanwhile, Jack Robinson and Tom Davies were both back involved in first team training, although the latter will be three or four weeks away from being ready for first team action.

Portsmouth face significant injury concerns ahead of their upcoming fixture against the Blades, particularly with Callum Lang, who was forced off during the match against Burnley due to a groin injury. His availability remains uncertain, and missing him would be a major blow for the home side, as Lang has already contributed to four of Portsmouth’s six league goals.

Australian striker Kusini Yengi also remains sidelined after suffering a groin injury during a warm-up against West Brom, with manager John Mousinho confirming he’ll be out for a couple more weeks. Additionally, newly signed defender Ibane Bowat faces a lengthy six-month recovery after rupturing his patella tendon in training, while striker Colby Bishop is set to be out until the new year following heart surgery.

Portsmouth’s star player for this game

I feel a bit silly listing Callum Lang in this section but the midfielder is absolutely vital for Pompey, as seen in his incredible goal contribution return – four contributions in the first six games.

Lang would offer the home side a willing runner with plenty of energy, and one that is capable of pulling off an extraordinary goal, as seen in the first game of the season against Leeds United as he rifled a volley into the top corner from outside the box.

If he isn’t available then it would certainly make United’s defenders and defensive midfielders jobs easier; while Anel Ahmedhodzic, Harry Souttar and Vinicius Souza are capable of covering ground, their weakness is undoubtedly agility, which Lang would try to exploit.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi makes his full debut for Sheffield United against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup clash at Oakwell Stadium.

Sheffield United’s star player for this game

The inside right winger role seems to be perfect for both Andre Brooks and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi in this formation, and both have their strengths and flaws in their game. Personally, I think Brooks has shown a bit more balance to his game than Rak-Sakyi thus far, but saying that, it’s a great headache for Wilder to have.

Whoever starts there on Saturday afternoon should be able to cause problems down that flank as they’ll likely be up against Josh Murphy and Connor Ogilvie. Brooks and Rak-Sakyi have a clear pace and athleticism advantage, and the left-back, Ogilvie, has already committed one penalty this season and has been in the book twice, facing very similar players stylistically to United’s right winger options. To add, Murphy has been booked twice in two games, so there is certainly a key foul to be won down that side of the pitch.

Rak-Sakyi is yet to be involved in a goal in the Championship in three starts, while Brooks has two assists in his three starts. Brooks also has the clear advantage in key passes per game, dribbles per game and fouls drawn, so for me he should be given the start to cause Portsmouth issues down their left.

My view

Pompey have managed to score seven goals in their opening six games, which is a respectable return compared to the rest of the league. However, their defensive frailties have been exposed, conceding 13 goals in the same period, leaving them vulnerable at the back.

Sheffield United will be looking to capitalise on Portsmouth’s struggles, and while the Blades have nine goals to their name, that number should be much higher after squandering several good opportunities due to decision making.

On the flip side, Michael Cooper’s goal has barely been troubled with Anel Ahmedhodzic and Harry Souttar guarding it, giving up just three shots on target across the previous three games. With a key attacking player potentially missing the game for Portsmouth, I can’t see that number drastically changing, even despite the home side scoring seven goals in six games before this weekend’s match.

Mousinho’s side are currently averaging under nine shots per game (the second lowest in the league) and 2.7 shots on target per game (the joint second lowest in the league), those numbers could shrink even more so if the Blades remain solid at the back.

My prediction

The game script will be similar to how last Saturday’s game against Derby played out, but I expect Portsmouth to be easier to break down than the Rams, and I think they will pose minimal threat as well, especially if Lang is unavailable.

Usually, Unitedites will say take a point on the road, but given our current confidence we should be looking to beat anyone in this league, home or away, especially a struggling newly promoted team like Pompey.

I am predicting pure domination from the Blades on Saturday afternoon, and a 3-0 win to go with it.