What Gareth Evans has predicted for Southampton FC v Portsmouth - it involves Conor Chaplin | OneFootball

Former Portsmouth fan favourite Gareth Evans has made a bold prediction for Sunday's south coast derby against Southampton involving Conor Chaplin

Portsmouth have embarked upon a strong start to the 2025/26 Championship campaign after ensuring safety last time out following promotion from League One, and will be desperate to build upon their early success with a major scalp over bitter rivals Southampton in this Sunday's upcoming south coast derby.

John Mousinho's side sit eighth in the Championship standings, having won two, drawn one and lost one of their opening four encounters in 2025/26.

Portsmouth had an eye-catching summer transfer window, which was ultimately topped with a stunning return for former Pompey star Conor Chaplin, following the signings of Florian Bianchini, Josep Bursik, Josh Knight, Adrian Segecic and John Swift — among others, of course.

The encouraging initiation to the new season, however, could count for precious little in the eyes of supporters if Pompey fail to pick up a result, or worse still, break down in disastrous fashion, when they travel up the road to face Southampton on Sunday afternoon. Alternatively, the pre-existing feel-good factor at Fratton Park would be amplified tenfold with a victory over the Saints, which they have not obtained since February 2010.

Indeed, Sunday's encounter will represent the first league showdown between the two sides in more than 13 years, with the honours having been shared in each of their last two divisional meetings.

Portsmouth did, of course, host Southampton in a hotly-anticipated EFL Cup tie during the 2019/20 season, though the Fratton Park faithful will wish for no such reminder of the 4-0 thrashing they saw their side subjected to on the night.

Gareth Evans reveals prediction for Southampton v Portsmouth involving Conor Chaplin

All eyes are firmly fixated on the upcoming affair, with nobody of a Southampton or Portsmouth persuasion under any illusions of the importance this fixture holds so deeply within both clubs.

Ex-Portsmouth winger Gareth Evans, who scored 38 goals from more than 200 appearances across a fruitful five-year stay at Fratton Park and helped the club to the League Two title in 2017, is particularly excited about the clash and, having since hung up his boots, is "jealous" to not be involved.

Evans did, however, turn out in the aforementioned EFL Cup tie, and has urged Pompey players and fans alike to savour and enjoy the occasion. He has also taken a go at predicting the outcome — and it's one that the Portsmouth fanbase will pray comes to fruition.

Speaking last week on BBC Radio Solent Sport, Evans revealed his prediction for a narrow 1-0 Portsmouth victory — with Chaplin, no less, scoring the winner. A graduate of the Pompey youth system, Chaplin played alongside Evans for three years before moving on to Coventry City and then Barnsley prior to joining Ipswich Town in the summer of 2021.

The attacking midfielder remains a modern-day Portman Road icon, having played an instrumental role in the Tractor Boys' successive promotions from League One to the Premier League, though he will now be looking to rekindle his spark back at home after rejoining Portsmouth on a season-long loan.

"I'm a little bit jealous not to be involved!" Evans explained.

"It's going to be a fantastic occasion, albeit the first one is at St Mary's, but I think the importance for a lot of Portsmouth fans to stay in the Championship last season was because of games like this.

"Southampton were poor last season in the Premier League, it must be said, and off the back of that we're looking at a south coast derby for the first time in a long time so it's something to really look forward to and savour, and hopefully Portsmouth can pick up all three points.

"Historically, Fratton Park is a very difficult place for opposition players to go. You've got the south coast derby atmosphere and all the surrounding media coverage of the game and it's going to be a very difficult game for Southampton to get a point from, let alone all three, so it's going to be a really interesting one and hopefully I can get down and watch it.

"That's the excitement of staying in the Championship as I say, we've got two league fixtures against our fiercest rivals.

"I'll go for 1-0 Pompey, Conor Chaplin of course.

Southampton have had slow Championship start - Portsmouth can capitalise

Whereas Portsmouth have outperformed expectations — at least externally — in, admittedly, what are the early and subject-to-change throes of the season, Southampton are yet to really find their feet under new head coach Will Still after suffering relegation from the Premier League last term.

Still has conducted an overhaul of the playing squad, but, having taken four points from their first two outings against Wrexham and fellow newly-relegated outfit Ipswich, Southampton fell to a shock 2-1 home defeat against 10-man Stoke City and could only manage a draw away to Watford before the international break.

It hasn't been an abject start by any means, but Southampton have not really got going just yet either, and that will play into the hands of Portsmouth as they look to continue their strong early-season form.

John Mousinho's side may lack the potentially-decisive advantage of being backed by a buoyant and charged Fratton Park crowd, and the importance of form ahead of derby day only goes so far too, but they have confidence and momentum heading into the trip and that could make a massive difference.