The 2-1 defeat Millwall suffered at Fratton Park has proved to be part of a significant shift in form for Portsmouth, who have collected ten points from four Championship fixtures to climb from 19th to 11th in the table. The run leaves them within two points of the play-off spots, a turnaround that few would have predicted following their south coast derby loss to Southampton earlier this month.

A run that has changed the picture

Pompey's recent sequence of three wins and one draw has done more than flatter the numbers. It has repositioned them as a genuine factor in the upper half of the Championship table, and the victory over Millwall sits right at the heart of that sequence. For Gary Neil's side, who showed enough in spells at Fratton Park to frustrate their hosts, the concession of points during that run has contributed to a narrowing gap to the sides above them.

BBC Radio Solent commentator Andrew Moon, speaking on the Who Needs Mourinho? podcast, acknowledged the element of fortune involved in Portsmouth's recent results, while stressing there has been genuine substance to the performances.

"It's just amazing how all it takes is a few games for everything to turn around," Moon said. "Have Pompey necessarily deserved 10 points from four games? Probably not that many, but there has been a lot of good things. And if you do a lot of good things and get that little bit of fortune to go your way, things can turn around pretty quickly."

What it means for Millwall

From a Millwall perspective, the Fratton Park result was one of several damaging outcomes across a difficult recent stretch. Neil was openly critical of his side's display that day, describing the defeat as a performance that fell well short of Championship standards. The Lions have since been made to work hard for results, and the broader table picture underlines the cost of dropping points against a side that, at that stage, was anchored near the bottom of the division.

Millwall currently find themselves in a congested midtable area where results against lower-placed opponents are coming back to define the shape of seasons. The defeat to Portsmouth, allied to dropped points in other recent fixtures, has done little to ease the pressure on Neil to find a more consistent version of his team.

Championship congestion at both ends

The speed of Portsmouth's recovery is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in the second tier. A gap that looked like a gulf four games ago has been reduced to a matter of two points from the play-off positions for Pompey. For clubs in Millwall's vicinity in the table, results against sides capable of such form swings carry an outsized weight as the season progresses.

Millwall's upcoming fixtures will be scrutinised carefully by supporters keen to see whether the defensive and collective deficiencies that Neil flagged after the Portsmouth match have been addressed. The Lions have the quality in their squad to put a run together, but the table at this stage of the campaign leaves little margin for extended inconsistency.

Portsmouth's revival will not go unnoticed by Millwall's coaching staff either. Opponents can change shape in a matter of weeks in the Championship, and a side dismissed as struggling a fortnight ago can quickly become one of the division's form teams. It is a dynamic that keeps the table fluid and, for Millwall, serves as a pointed reminder of what a single bad result can look like weeks later when the context around it shifts.

Frequently asked

How many points have Portsmouth taken from their last four Championship games?
Portsmouth have collected ten points from their last four Championship fixtures, winning three and drawing one, according to BBC Sport.
Where are Millwall in the Championship table?
Millwall are in a congested midtable section of the Championship, with their recent run of results, including the 2-1 loss at Portsmouth, leaving them under pressure to find consistent form.
How close are Portsmouth to the Championship play-off places?
Following their recent run of form, Portsmouth have risen from 19th to 11th in the Championship and sit within two points of the play-off spots.