ESPN+ has the moving pictures in the States. Thursday was dispiriting, but not season-ending. 5th place is looking very possible with a few good results in the league, and amazingly even 4th isn’t completely gone for us yet. Play all the kids at Fratton Park, spend a good solid week regrouping, recuperating and preparing. Then smash West Ham and we’re right back in it. And we’ll have more time to contnue resting and preparing than if we still had all those infernal Thursday games. Let’s do this. Up the Arsenal.
If we lose this game the owners have to refund about 4.5m to season ticket holders for pre-paid cup games.
As pathetic as Thursday's exit was, personally I'm basically relieved to be out of Europa (which we were never gonna win) and can focus on Top-5 which is the new Top-4. Also, I'm still basking a bit in our Invincibles "title" having just been preserved... thanks Watford! Tonight's visit to Pompey could be a raucous & hostile experience. And although this cup tournament is increasingly meaningless, it may be psychologically just as important for our league run-in. Hopefully this guy is no longer around, but don’t count on it!
Debut for Pablo Mari tonight? (Kola, Tierney, Soares still out injured. And others will surely be rested)
The fans of whatever team that finishes 5th are going to be devastated when City's ban is delayed for a year.
Exactly my thought. I don't think he's ever gotten out of that doghouse. My only otherwise reaction is about Saka: I sure hope we don't wear him out!
Think it's more not rated than being in the doghouse - if he was in the doghouse he wouldn't be on the bench.
It seems odd; he played well at right back in Arteta's first few games. I expected him to play left back today.
I wonder if AMN has made it clear he doesn't want to play fullback and Arteta is trying to make it clear he won't get a start unless he is willing to play fullback.
In addition, Sokratis didn’t exactly distinguish himself in the last game that Arteta played him as a right back.
That's what I've assumed it is. Meanwhile we lose a DM. Torreira gets clattered into and seems to have done his knee? Looks bad, maybe season ending
Good grief. What is it with my favored teams having players stretchered off this weekend?! F***. Get well soon, LT.
Atlanta's Martinez? What's the news on him? Meanwhile GREAT atmosphere at Fratton Park. Absolutely no surprise there. Tight game... could go either way at this point, although Pompey have had plenty of rather dangerous chances. I think we might want to pressurize them more.
Guendouzi just picks up some ridiculously stupid yellow card for sarcastically placing the ball down on the ground next to Mike Dean. Guen's got a bit of a hot head, but HELLO????? WTF was that for Mr.Dean?
Was there a corner? What happened to the corner? Who circulated the ball back? Who made the cross? Who scored it?
Mike Dean is an idiot ..books a guy for putting the ball down but not booking the Portsmouth players for thuggish tackles
Interesting at the end of half time Sokratis got the three youngsters around him telling them what they should be doing ( tracking back )
Announcer just said LT's injury is not as bad as it looked at first, when he came off on a stretcher. Crossing fingers!!!!
2-0! Nketia with some tricky quick close ball skills inside the 6 box. We're rolling!!! Edit: And who sent in the cross again? That long lost Riess Nelson.