Portsmouth’s next opponents, Bristol City, defeated Plymouth Argyle 4-0 on Saturday.
Bristol City boss Liam Manning believes he can see “something really growing” at the club after the Robins defeated Plymouth Argyle 4-0 ahead of their trip to Portsmouth next weekend.
The win helped Pompey gain a point on Wayne Rooney’s side, while John Mousinho’s team drew 2-2 at Swansea City. Pompey’s next game is against Bristol City, who have 25 points from their first 18 games of the season.
The Robins put further pressure on Rooney after Plymouth’s second-half collapse at Ashton Gate. On 57 minutes, the home side’s relentless pressure paid off when Scott Twine got a crucial touch on Anis Mehmeti’s right-footed shot, beating Dan Grimshaw from close range.
Mehmeti’s brace put the game out of reach before Sinclair Armstrong added a late fourth, forcing previously supporting Argyle fans to turn against their team, which has now conceded 27 goals in 10 Championship away games this season. Manning reflected on the victory, saying, “It was essential to be patient today, and I think our supporters and players did an excellent job in that regard. The advice at halftime was to stay brave because it’s easy to become irritated when your efforts are stalled and you’re not capitalising on your momentum.
“We’re still evolving as a squad, and the players are constantly learning. We have a culture that promotes growth via hard effort, and the players fully embrace it. I can see the beginnings of something truly growing. Building a team takes time, but the signals are very promising. Anis Mehmeti deserves a lot of credit for his achievements today. He enjoys the game and always poses a significant threat.
“We defended solidly again, which was vital, and it was nice to see Sam Bell return from a long injury as a late substitute. We worked throughout the summer to secure greater strength in depth, and even if we still have a few players out, the bench is now fairly strong.
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