Pompey could have dropped to 21st in the Championship table with some of the teams currently around them in the standings being in action on Tuesday night

Two teams directly below Pompey in the Championship table had the opportunity to leapfrog the Blues in the standings on Tuesday night, only for them to fluff their lines.

Both Swansea and Oxford United had the chance to pile the pressure on John Mousinho’s side and take the heat off themselves ahead of Pompey’s Wednesday night trip to Sheffield United - another side currently involved in the scrap for survival at the bottom end of the table.

Yet neither seized the opportunity, with Swansea suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Derby in new boss Vitor Matos’ first came in charge. Meanwhile, a last-gasp Filip Krastev effort salvaged a draw for the U’s at Norwich City - a side still to win at home this season and without a victory since August 30 - 13 matches ago.

It means the Blues head to Bramall Lane, where they’ve not won since 1955, still 19th in the table on 17 points. That keeps them ahead of Swansea on goal difference and two clear of Oxford, who remain 21st on 15 points, with a game in hand.

The gap to the bottom three also remains at four points, with Norwich passing up the opportunity to go level with Sheffield United on 13 points in Philippe Clement’s second game in charge of the Canaries. Yet that could be reduced to just two if the Blades overcome the Blues tonight in south Yorkshire (7.45pm).

Thinking positively, though, Pompey could move seven points clear of the drop zone if they follow up Saturday’s impressive win against Millwall with victory at Bramall Lane. Meanwhile, those three points could see them climb to 18th in the table - if Blackburn Rovers don’t beat QPR at Ewood Park.

Sheffield Wednesday will stay bottom (-4 points), irrespective of the result of their match at Millwall this evening.

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Boos at Swansea City after defeat to Derby

Pompey travel to current relegation rivals Swansea in less than two weeks on Tuesday, December 9.

The Swans were booed by their own fans on Tuesday night. And after watching his side suffer a fifth home defeat in a row against Derby, Matos said much improvement was need all round from his team.

He told WalesOnline: ‘The result wasn’t good. We need to improve a lot of things – the way we finish our attacks, creating more chances, getting a more aggressive counter press.

‘We needed more energy coming from the second line and more bodies in and around the box. A few things were good but we need to find more consistency and keep going.

‘We need to go into our next game and play it as if it’s like a final.

‘This isn’t where we want to be in the table, but it’s the position we are in at the moment. We need to improve, and we are all working hard to improve the team and change the momentum.

‘We need to be able to compete and compete against every style in the league. We need much more movement and be quicker in the way we move the ball.’

For your next Pompey read: Sheffield United v Portsmouth: everything John Mousinho said ahead Championship game at Bramall Lane