Southampton welcome Portsmouth to St Mary's on Sunday (kick-off 12:00) in one of the Championship's most charged local derbies, and the numbers surrounding this fixture tell their own story.

Saints' home form is exceptional, and the stats back it up

Southampton have scored 15 goals in just four home league games this season, which is described as the most by a Championship side in their opening four home fixtures since Reading managed 16 in 2008-09. That is a remarkable rate of production, and maintaining a 100% home record heading into a derby of this magnitude will have given the St Mary's crowd plenty to shout about already this term.

Manager Tonda Eckert arrives at the fixture having recently been cleared to remain in charge following the well-publicised Spygate affair. Whatever distraction that episode caused behind the scenes, it has yet to show on the pitch at home.

Portsmouth's away record at Southampton makes grim reading

For Pompey supporters making the relatively short journey along the M27, history offers little comfort. Portsmouth have won just one of their past nine league visits to Southampton, a 2-0 victory in January 1988 under Alan Ball. The remaining eight trips have produced four draws and four defeats.

More broadly, the last four league meetings between the two clubs have all ended in draws, with Portsmouth last winning the fixture in a 4-1 victory at Fratton Park back in April 2005. That is more than two decades without a win for Pompey on their rivals' turf.

Sunday fixtures add another awkward layer. Portsmouth have won just four of their past 32 league matches played on a Sunday, picking up 11 draws and losing 17. This is only their third Sunday league game in the past two seasons, and both of the previous two were against Southampton, finishing level on each occasion.

Larin's numbers at St Mary's are in rare company

Cyle Larin heads into the match having returned from a back concern, according to earlier reports, but his record at St Mary's is worth highlighting. The forward has scored 11 goals in 14 Championship appearances at the ground, averaging one goal every 81 minutes. According to the BBC's figures, since 2004-05 only Dwight Gayle at St James' Park (one goal every 72 minutes, across 750-plus minutes) has a better minutes-per-goal ratio at a single stadium in that period. If Larin is fit and selected, those numbers will be on Portsmouth's defensive radar.

A three-game unbeaten run gives Portsmouth belief

Portsmouth arrive on the back of a three-game unbeaten run in the Championship, which will at least give the squad and supporters some confidence against the historical trend. The 2-2 draw at Blackburn was the most recent result in that sequence. Whether that momentum is enough to end a long wait for a win at Southampton remains to be seen, but the form heading into the match is the most positive Pompey can have hoped for.

All of which sets up a fixture that, on paper, tilts heavily towards the hosts. Southampton's home firepower, Larin's record and Portsmouth's historically poor Sunday and away-end numbers are all pointing the same way. Derby matches, of course, have a habit of ignoring what the numbers say.

Frequently asked

When is Southampton v Portsmouth in the Championship?
The match is scheduled for Sunday, 9 October 2026, with kick-off at 12:00 BST at St Mary's Stadium.
When did Portsmouth last beat Southampton in a league match?
Portsmouth last won a league meeting against Southampton in April 2005, a 4-1 victory at Fratton Park. Their most recent away win at St Mary's was a 2-0 result in January 1988.
How many goals has Cyle Larin scored at St Mary's in the Championship?
Larin has scored 11 goals in 14 Championship appearances at St Mary's, at a rate of one goal every 81 minutes.