Pompey have been quick on the draw upon their return to the Championship. Three games - and all have ended all-square.

Most fans would have taken that if offered before clashes with Leeds, Luton and Middlesbrough to kick off the long Championship season - though seeing leads of 3-2 and then 2-1 disappear in injury time in the first and third of those matches may put a different sheen on things.

Game four brings the leaders, and fairly recent League One rivals. Sunderland to town - and again. many in royal blue will be thinking remaining unbeaten might be the best Pompey can achieve.

But this is already an unpredictable season and John Mousinho will be sending his team into battle wanting to get that first win on the board. A place in the top half of the table would probably be the prize were it to happen.

And Pompey go into this clash with the Black Cats buoyed by more new signings - Mark O'Mahony, Freddie Potts and Ibane Bowat the latest trio through the door. Added to 11 other signings made in this window, that gives Mousinho a huge squad - and plenty of selection options. Trying to guess his starting line-up this weekend is harder than it's ever been.

Of course the manager has given few clues about his preferred XI in the run-up to the final game before the international break but fans will be speculating that Abdouaye Kamara, Harvey Blair and any of this week's arrivals might be seen against Sunderland.

As for Mousinho, his thoughts were firmly on the task in hand as he did his end-of-week interviews. He told the club media: 'You shouldn’t judge the league table too early in the season, but Sunderland have been the best side in the Championship so far. They beat Burnley at home, destroyed Sheffield Wednesday and also got a good victory at Cardiff on the opening day.

'There are some excellent young players at the club and they’re extremely well coached, with the new guy coming in and doing extremely well. When you match all those things up, it’s no surprise that they are coming to Fratton Park in really good form.

'We’ve had a difficult start on paper and this one is no different, so it should be a brilliant fixture for us. For us to have taken three points from those opening games, considering where we are with injuries, is fantastic.

'It was a patched together back four last Saturday and other guys further up the pitch were playing just out of position, while we're still getting used to the Championship. But there’s still a slight disappointment that we haven’t been able to win any of them, having perhaps deserved to against Luton and then leading late on at Leeds and Middlesbrough.

'So there are mixed emotions, but I think we can be pretty pleased with where we are at this early stage.'

Photo: Action Images

Portsmouth Polls