Sunderland make the long-haul trip to Portsmouth this weekend.
Sunderland fans face a 13-hour round trip to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth in the Championship this weekend.
The Black Cats will look to maintain their perfect start to the 2024/25 Championship season after three wins from three under new boss Regis Le Bris.
Last time out, Sunderland beat Burnley 1-0 at the Stadium of Light, notching a third-straight league win and also a third-straight clean sheet in the Championship.
The Black Cats and Pompey both spent a lot of time in League One, with Sunderland earning promotion in 2022 and then Portsmouth doing so last year.
John Mousinho guided Portsmouth to the League One title, winning the division by five points in the end.
So far this season, the south-coast club have been steady, drawing all three of their league fixtures, with draws away at Leeds United and Middlesbrough.
Last time Sunderland and Portsmouth met was in the 2021/22 League One season with Sunderland winning 1-0.
The last time they met at Fratton Park was earlier that same season, and Pompey won the game 4-0.
Sam Parkin gives Portsmouth vs Sunderland score prediction
Speaking on the Championship Check-In podcast, EFL pundit Sam Parkin gave his score prediction for the game between Pompey an Sunderland.
Going into this weekend, Sunderland are the team in 1st place of the Championship table, with Portsmouth in the mid-table spot in 12th.
Parkin said: “I’ve seen some really cagey games between these two… I’m going for Pompey to have a 0-0 in front of their own punters once again.
“Which just keeps Sunderland ticking over. It certainly shows just how good they are defensively if they can go a fourth game without conceding.”
- READ MORE: Sunderland tipped to sign in demand Premier League gem, it’d be a ‘fantastic move’ for him
Why Portsmouth is Regis Le Bris and Sunderland’s toughest test so far
After three games, three wins and three clean sheets, including a win in the absence of Jack Clarke, Le Bris and Sunderland have now set themselves a very high bar.
This start to the season is no longer a fluke and now Sunderland go into their first game with a bit of pressure on their shoulders.
It’s pressure to live up to the hype. Portsmouth though will be very stubborn, and they’ve had some good results against good teams this season, and given the length of the journey, it’ll be a very tough slog for the Black Cats.
Like Parkin says, a clean sheet here would be a huge bonus, but a win should be the ultimate aim for Sunderland.
Kick off is at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.