A relegation six-pointer awaits at Fratton Park, as Portsmouth face struggling Baggies in the Championship as both sides look to avoid the drop in a tense relegation showdown.
How did it get to this? Late January and now sitting 20th in the Championship and 3 points behind the relegation zone with Blackburn and our opponents Portsmouth just below us, this is a crucial game in West Bromwich Albion’s history as the club are thinking about surviving in the 2nd tier of English football, as they look to avoid of being relegated to League 1 for the first time since 1991.
There are 16 games left of the season and the business end is coming and the Baggies are looking to kickstart their run with Eric Ramsay that saw a late draw at Derby last Friday night with Chris Mepham getting a last-gasp equaliser. Now it’s all about the biggest six-pointer of the season.
Player To Watch – Portsmouth
In a relegation six-pointer at Fratton Park, Adrian Segecic becomes a key figure for Portsmouth not because he’s the biggest name on the pitch, but because he’s one of the few players who can actually change the game on his own. In matches like this, where both teams are tense and chances are limited, it’s often the creative, unpredictable players who make the difference — and that’s exactly the type of role Segecic plays. If Portsmouth are going to score, there’s a strong chance it will involve him finding space between the lines, forcing a defender to make a decision, and either shooting or feeding a teammate.
From a West Brom perspective, Segecic represents the kind of threat that can turn a tight game into a nightmare in a matter of seconds. When a match is essentially a battle for survival, teams tend to sit deeper and rely on structure. That makes it harder to break down a team like Portsmouth, but it also means a single moment of quality is worth even more. Segecic is the player who can create that moment. If he gets a bit of time on the ball, he can draw defenders in and open up space for others, or he can take the shot himself and force a reaction from the goalkeeper and defenders.
The reason he’s especially important at Fratton Park is the atmosphere. Portsmouth will be desperate for points, and the crowd will be fully behind them. That pressure can lift players, but it can also cause panic in the visiting side if something goes wrong. Segecic is the kind of player who thrives in those moments because he doesn’t look intimidated — he looks like he wants the ball when it matters most. That’s exactly what makes him dangerous in a relegation scrap. If West Brom allow him time and space, he can create the kind of chance that wins a game, and in a six-pointer, that’s effectively like scoring twice.
So from a West Brom fan’s view, Segecic is the one you’d want your midfield to track closely and your defenders to be wary of, because he’s the player who can make Portsmouth’s attack feel a lot more dangerous than it might on paper. In a match where mistakes are punished and opportunities are rare, he’s the sort of player who can turn one good moment into three points — and in a relegation battle, that can be the difference between staying up and slipping closer to the drop.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Jayson Molumby should be the player to watch for West Brom in this game because relegation six-pointers are exactly the kind of matches that suit him. When football becomes less about flair and more about intensity, second balls and mentality, Molumby tends to stand out. At Fratton Park, where the atmosphere will be hostile and the game scrappy, West Brom will need someone who can match Portsmouth’s energy rather than shy away from it.
From a tactical point of view, Molumby’s importance comes from what he does without the ball as much as with it. Portsmouth will look to feed players like Adrian Segecic between the lines, and Molumby is often the midfielder tasked with breaking that rhythm. His pressing, tracking and willingness to get tight can disrupt Pompey’s most dangerous moments and stop the game being played on their terms. In a match where control is fragile, that work is vital.
There’s also the emotional side of the game. Molumby plays on the edge, and in a relegation battle that edge can be contagious. He sets the tone early with tackles, duels and sheer aggression, which can either lift West Brom or rattle the home crowd if things start going their way. Away from home in a tense environment like Fratton Park, that kind of personality matters just as much as technical quality.
Going forward, Molumby also offers West Brom something important in these tight fixtures: late runs and opportunistic goals. When games are cagey and chances are few, midfielders arriving unmarked into the box often decide them. Molumby has a habit of popping up in dangerous areas, especially when defenders are focused elsewhere, and that makes him a real threat in a low-margin contest.
In short, if West Brom are to come through this six-pointer with something to show for it, Molumby will likely be at the heart of it. He embodies the fight, discipline and urgency needed in a relegation scrap, and if he imposes himself on the game, West Brom’s chances of controlling both the tempo and the emotional battle increase massively.
Line Up V Portsmouth
A 5-4-1 formation I think Eric Ramsay would play again, would go Max O’Leary in goal, I have a back three of Chris Mepham, Nat Phillips and Geotge Campbell and wing backs with Callum Styles and Alfie Gilchrist returning to the first 11.
In midfield, Jayson Molumby and Isaac Price would come in with Mikey Johnston and Ollie Bostock who I would start following his FA Cup penalty winner and an assist in the Swansea game who would replace Karlan Grant who is now out for three months after his injury in the Derby game last week.
Daryl Dike would be lone striker and gets his first start of the season following Heggebo set for a rest and Maja dropped due to poor form.
Prediction V Portsmouth
Predictions for the Portsmouth game, this be a tough one as we haven’t won in 11 away games and now come into this one with a real relegation six pointer on the cards, the Baggies can go 12 without a win on the road and can be in the relegation zone end of play come Saturday evening depending on Blackburn’s result.
Here is how it would plan out, I think the first 10 minutes Portsmouth would be all over us trying to test our defence with Max O’Leary pulling of a few saves and Chris Mepham clearing out by preventing Portsmouth’s opener.
Around the 34th minute, Ollie Bostock would pick up where he left off in the FA Cup game over Swansea where he put in a cross for Daryl Dike to pull a powerful header to give the Baggies the lead and his first goal of the season to get off the mark.
We would go into the break with a lead giving the fans a boost and could be a tense second half to hold onto a lead away. In the second half, we would do our best to double our advantage with Dike trying to get his brace that would hit the crossbar. Then in the 71th minute our lead wouldn’t last as Millenic Alli would score from outside the box and beat Alfie Gilchrist that would beat the keeper to equalise for Pompey and put the last 20 minutes to a edgy and nervy times for the Albion fans as the scoreline would be 1-1.
Around the 83rd minute, Portsmouth would do anything to get the lead late on and be the next team to score a late winner over the Baggies, Millenic Alli would do the same again as he would attempt to beat his opponent then score to give us a shock as he puts Portsmouth into the lead and make us realise we could be going down to League One.
In the final few minutes we would do our best to get a equaliser then we get a free-kick on the 95th minute of the game and Alex Mowatt would then give us a lift with a second late equaliser in a row with Derby last week and now Portsmouth that would bring more joy to the fans and a point at Fratton Park it would be.
Prediction: Portsmouth 2-2 West Brom
Goalscorers for Portsmouth: Millenic Alli (X2)
Goalscorers for West Brom: Daryl Dike, Alex Mowatt
A 2-2 scoreline I’m going for I don’t think we would get all three points here and I’m the only one so far knowing we would come away with not three points but just a point here and it be like the Derby game. I do think we would be in control of the game and would look decent but with our away record and pressure for this one, I think a draw here would be ok and I do think we would kick on over Stoke and Birmingham the week after.