‘A genuine candidate’: EFL pundits deliver shock Portsmouth prediction as Championship hopes grow

Pompey ‘are a genuine play-off candidate’ in the Championship this season.

That is the surprise verdict from George Elek from the respected Not The Top 20 Podcast, who is backing the Blues to continue their outstanding run of form against Burnley this Saturday.

John Mousinho’s troops are in a rich vein of form, which has seen them climb the standings in recent weeks having lost just one of their previous eight.

Since their Southampton disappointment after the international break, Pompey have since gone on to claim impressive wins over Sheffield United, Norwich City and Millwall along with a hard-fought point away to Wolves.

The Blues now sit just two points outside of the play-offs ahead of Saturday’s trip to early-season strugglers Burnley, who this week appointed Swiss coach Fabio Celestini as Nicky Hayen’s successor in the Turf Moor hot seat.

Elek, though, is backing Mousinho’s men to continue their outstanding run this weekend and is tipping them as potential dark horses for a top eight finish this term.

Play Up Pompey! Follow the latest from Fratton Park ahead of the new season with our free football newsletter

Shock Pompey prediction as Championship hopes go

Speaking on the Not The Top 20’s latest betting show, he said: ‘I’ve got Pompey to beat Burnley at 3.65. Basically priced up as if Burnley are the better team, accounting for Burnley’s home advantage. You’ve just got to take that on.

‘Pompey are a really good team and are a genuine play-off candidate this season if they keep the way they are going.

‘They come in here flying off the back of a really good run of form. They were good in the 1-0 defeat against Southampton, which was frustrating for them.

‘They then beat Sheffield United at home 3-2, went to Norwich and won that game 1-0, drew 1-1 with Wolves and then beat Millwall 2-1.

‘That is not an easy run of games, they’re picking up points against good teams and here they come up against a Burnley team, who apart from a win over Watford which that form line has aged horrendously, have had quite a lot of what should be easy games at this level.

‘They (Burnley) couldn’t beat Derby, they couldn’t beat Charlton, they were beaten by Wolves, which is tough but they were good in the first half an hour.

‘And then Lincoln they lost 4-1 against a newly-promoted team that haven’t been at this level for too long.

‘They've sacked Nicky Hayen, they’ve brought in (Fabio) Celestini, a Swiss manager, who most recently took on a job with CSKA Moscow in 2025.

‘He’s had varying success in the Swiss League. There does seem to be quite a lot of similarities with the job he took in at Basel.

‘Hayen doesn’t seem like he was very good, doesn’t seem like the fans or the players were particularly happy with him, but as it is the case with a few clubs in the EFL, even though fans are happy Hayen has gone, the ire and the anger at Turf Moor is aimed at (owner) Alan Pace and other club officials.

‘There is a squad of players to work with there. There’s no way they should be as poor as they are but until I see an improvement I’m not looking at this and thinking Hayen’s gone there’s going to be an improvement.

‘This is still going to be a really awkward game for Pompey. But their defensive record is really good, in Kavuma-McQueen they’ve got a winger I really like and Marezi is starting to lead the line really well up top.’

Your next Pompey read: Portsmouth boss provides encouraging injury update on long-term absentees as return dates pencilled in