The first South Coast derby of the 2026-27 Championship season takes place this weekend, with Southampton meeting arch rivals Portsmouth at St Mary’s Stadium.

Last season marked the first time the two clubs had faced in a league match in 14 years, and despite having a considerably more expensively formed squad, the Saints were unable to defeat Pompey in either game.

They drew 0-0 at St Mary’s in September, followed by a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park in January, with Ebou Adams cancelling out Leo Scienza’s opener.

Portsmouth has had a mixed start to the 2026–27 Championship season.

Southampton had to start the season with a four-point deduction due to the events of Spygate the previous season, but that has already been put behind them with 14 points won on the pitch.

After eight matches, they have 10 points, which is higher than Portsmouth, who have only eight points despite playing one fewer games.

It hasn’t gone quite how John Mousinho had hoped, with the club winning only two of those games – one away at newly promoted Lincoln City and the other at home against another League One team from last season, Cardiff City.

QPR, Bristol City, and Derby County have all suffered defeats, while Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers have drawn their last two games before the international break.

Star winger Josh Murphy is still out due to injury, but Mousinho’s squad has been strengthened over the summer, with the signing of Serbian striker Marezi being the most notable addition, while teenage Chelsea winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen will look to cause problems this weekend.

Southampton have received a significant boost with Tonda Eckert’s Spygate destiny.

Everyone, but probably most notably Southampton fans, will relish the return of club football following a three-week international break.

Since May, Spygate has hovered over their heads; the major punishment came almost immediately, when they were knocked out of the Championship play-off final after being discovered to have spied not only on Middlesbrough, but also on Oxford United and Ipswich Town.

However, the hearing for head coach Tonda Eckert did not take place during the summer. Instead, they had to wait for the first international break of the season to begin, and after nearly two weeks, the German was delivered his fate.

And, despite the fact that Eckert personally ordered the espionage missions, the 33-year-old received a suspended six-week penalty, despite accusations that the FA had initially requested a full 16-week suspension.

Mitigating factors, including as Eckert’s cooperation and a desire not to punish Southampton any more than they have been, resulted in him being cleared to continue managing, which is good news for both fans and club officials.

And, with Portsmouth being the first game since the announcement, there will undoubtedly be a sell-out, rowdy crowd inside St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon, as the club comes together under a siege mentality following their ejection from last year’s play-offs.

Portsmouth will find it difficult to gain anything from the Southampton meeting.

Eckert’s decision to avoid a ban for his Spygate acts was hailed by Southampton fans, but it was the last thing Portsmouth fans wanted to hear ahead of Sunday.

The uncertainty surrounding Eckert’s future has been a distraction for Southampton this season, with the club winning only four of their eight league games, but the German now has a clear path ahead of him, as long as he is not found guilty of any further offences.

The FA’s decision is expected to boost morale ahead of the most acrimonious of south coast matches, and Portsmouth, who have looked vulnerable so far this season, will undoubtedly be concerned about what happens next.

Pompey may have expected to grab a point at St Mary’s this weekend because of the uncertainty surrounding their competitors, but now that that is no longer the case, it’s difficult to see them taking anything back to Fratton Park – but stranger things have happened in the world of football.