Pompey's New Signing Impresses in League Debut
Portsmouth's new signing, Benjy Arthur, made a strong impression in his league debut against Lincoln, with Pompey boss John Mousinho praising his unique qualities. The 20-year-old centre-half partnered Conor Shaughnessy in the centre of Pompey's defence for Saturday's trip to Sincil Bank, representing his Football League debut.
What Happened?
It was a baptism of fire for Arthur, yet Mousinho is adamant he emphatically demonstrated why he's physically equipped to survive in the Championship. The youngster grew into the match as Mousinho's men claimed a 3-1 victory to open their win account for the 2026-27 season.
Why it Matters for Portsmouth
Many fans had been calling for a change at centre-half following successive 3-1 defeats in the opening two matches of the campaign. Ultimately, it was a decision forced upon Mousinho. Poole, having attempted to train on Tuesday, was left out for the trip to Sincil Bank as a precautionary measure.
What Comes Next?
Arthur has featured for Brentford in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, while he represented Celtic six times during the second half of last season. Having made his Blues bow coming off the bench in the defeat to QPR, he was presented with his full debut against League One champions Brentford. Poole is now expected to be fit to challenge for a return to Mousinho's starting XI at Bristol City next weekend - although Arthur will be fighting him all the way.
Mousinho's Praise
Mousinho added: 'We lost out this week with Regan, he was feeling his hamstrings off the back of the QPR game. 'Regan wanted to play, he trained on Tuesday, but just wasn’t feeling right. So what we decided to do was say to Regan if you declare yourself fit for the weekend, I am judging you on that and will probably judge you at 80 per cent. 'That’s not the right thing to do - and we have other centre-halves in the building that are ready to go.'
Current Form
Pompey currently sit 18th in the Championship, with 55 points from 46 games, and a recent form of 2W-2D-1L (DDWWL). They are 40 points behind leaders Coventry and have conceded 64 goals so far this season, with 49 scored.
Injuries and Suspensions
The team is currently dealing with several injuries, including Connor Ogilvie, Franco Umeh, Jacob Farrell, Josef Bursik, Keshi Anderson, and Márk Kosznovszky, who are all sidelined.
Next Match
Ahead of a run of games, you can check on our fixtures page for the latest schedule. The team will be looking to build on their win against Lincoln and continue their push up the table.
