Portsmouth’s south coast rivals Southampton set unwanted record after being relegated from Premier League

The Blues’ bitter south coast rivals were relegated from the top flight on Sunday, after falling to a 3-1 defeat to Spurs.

Brennan Johnson’s first-half double was followed up by Mathys Tel’s late penalty to seal all three points for Ange Postecoglou’s men, who had failed to win their previous four league games before this weekend.

The disappointment in the capital for the Saints sealed their long-awaited fate and confirmed an imminent return to Championship football.

Ivan Juric’s men also claimed an unwanted record on their way to losing their top-flight status after they became the first side to be relegated from the Premier League with seven matches to play.

That is the earliest a club has dropped out of English football’s elite division, with Derby previously holding the stat with six matches during the 2007-08 campaign.

Of course, the Rams still hold the tally for the fewest number of points in a Premier League season, with 11 during the same campaign - something the Saints can still beat in their remaining games.

Pompey’s south coast rivals have propped up the standings for most of the campaign in their one-and-only season back in the top flight and currently sit rock bottom on 10 points. That’s 22 points behind Wolves who currently occupy 17th in the table.

A first south coast derby looms after a six-year absence

With Southampton confirmed to be in the Championship next season, a potential south coast derby looks to be on the horizon.

John Mousinho's men still have to seal their second-tier status, though, and currently sit four points clear of the bottom three in 17th. The Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat to Millwall on Saturday afternoon, with the battle for survival once again taking a new twist.

Should Pompey maintain their spot in the Championship for next term, that would set up a first meeting between the two sides since 2019.

The Saints, who were operating in the Premier League, ran out 4-0 victors against Kenny Jackett’s League One side at Fratton Park in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

The last time the bitter rivals met in the league was in the Championship during the 2011-12 campaign. The then relegation-threatened Blues sealed a dramatic 2-2 draw at St Mary’s, with David Norris’ volley in front of the travelling faithful now etched into Fratton Park history.

Pompey picked up two points against Southampton that term, with a a 1-1 draw played out at PO4 earlier that season.

The mouth-watering prospect of a first south coast derby in almost six years will no doubt spur on Mousinho’s troops even more in the remaining six games to maintain their second-tier status.

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