Derby day at St Mary’s: Eckert’s fully fit Saints welcome Pompey
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Greg Holloway
It is the fixture every Southampton supporter looks for first when the list comes out, and it is finally here. Saints host Portsmouth at St Mary’s today in the first south coast derby of the season, with a midday kick-off and a great deal riding on it for both clubs.
Tonda Eckert goes into the game with a rare luxury: a fully fit squad. Cyle Larin, the Championship’s top scorer, has been cleared after a back problem, and goalkeeper Daniel Peretz has shaken off a groin issue. Both had left international duty early to be assessed, so their availability is a huge boost. Caspar Jander, who has been out with a quad injury, is also close to a return.
Larin is the man Pompey will fear most. He was the division’s Player of the Month in August, and his goals have been central to a Saints side that has scored 19 times in eight league games – the second-highest tally in the Championship, behind only West Ham.
Eckert is in no doubt about what St Mary’s means to his players. “We’ve shown time and time again that it’s our place,” he told the club’s website ahead of the game. The head coach will want the crowd to make the derby atmosphere count.
The table does not tell the full story of Saints’ season. Southampton sit 16th on ten points going into the game, but that figure includes a four-point deduction for breaching EFL regulations. Without it, they would be on 14 points with a game in hand on most of the sides around them. Four wins, two draws and two defeats from eight matches, with a goal difference of +9, is the record of a side that belongs much higher up the table.
That makes today doubly important. A derby win would not only bring bragging rights along the M27; it would also lift Saints back into the top half and close the gap on the play-off pack.
Portsmouth arrive with plenty of problems. John Mousinho has made four changes, including a surprise recall for goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid ahead of Daniel Bielica, while Colby Bishop leads the line. Conor Shaughnessy misses out with a groin injury, and Pompey are without several other first-team players. Mousinho has called Saints “very heavy favourites” – a bit of derby-day mind games, perhaps, but also an acknowledgement of the quality Eckert has at his disposal.
Pompey sit 19th on eight points from seven games, so they have plenty to play for too. Nobody needs reminding that derbies rarely follow the form book.
Whatever happens today, there is no time to dwell on it. Saints travel to Norwich on Wednesday 14 October, where Philippe Clement’s side are under pressure after three straight defeats. Then Bolton visit St Mary’s on Saturday 17 October, before a trip to West Ham on Saturday 24 October and a home game against QPR on Saturday 31 October.
That is a demanding run, but this is a squad with the quality to handle it. For now, though, all eyes are on St Mary’s. Fully fit, in form and in front of their own fans – Saints could hardly ask for better preparation. Over to the players.
St Mary's is Southampton's home on Britannia Road (SO14 5FP), a compact single-tier bowl opened in 2001 and holding a little over 32,000. All four stands sit close to the pitch under a cantilever roof, so views are generally clear. The stands take their names from the city around them: the Itchen Stand on the east side faces the river and is the main stand, with the tunnel, dugouts, offices and hospitality. Opposite is the Kingsland Stand. The Northam Stand is behind the north goal and is now a home-only safe-standing end. The Chapel Stand sits behind the south goal.
Visiting supporters no longer sit in the Northam. Since 2024 the away allocation has been in the south-west corner, where the Chapel Stand meets the Kingsland Stand. Typical numbers are around 3,000, with safe standing in parts of that corner. The view is still a proper football one: you are beside the south goal rather than dead behind it, looking along the pitch toward the Northam. Large screens hang at both ends.
Approach from Chapel Road and Melbourne Street. Entry and exit for away fans is via Melbourne Street only. The away ticket office and turnstiles sit on the south side between Chapel and Kingsland; use turnstile E, with an accessible entrance nearby. Gates usually open 90 minutes before kick-off and the away ticket office opens about three hours before, closing shortly after the start. Bags should be no bigger than A4 and will be searched. The ground is cashless.
Southampton Central is about a mile away, a 20-minute walk. The club runs shuttle buses from the station and from Town Quay. Driving is awkward: local roads and the north and south car parks close about 90 minutes before kick-off. There is almost no general away parking on site (a handful of accessible spaces must be booked through your own club). Use city-centre or Ocean Village car parks and walk, or park and ride. Official coaches are directed to Melbourne Street.
There are few pubs right on the stadium doorstep that welcome both sets of fans. Browns on Millbank Street is the nearest mixed option. Ocean Village (Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis and nearby bars) is a short walk and popular before a game. Many travelling supporters drink in the city centre — Yates and similar spots on Above Bar Street — then walk or take the shuttle. Check current guidance from your club; hospitality and mixed pubs can change on high-profile fixtures.
Inside, concourse catering is step-free with lowered counters. Accessible toilets are on the away concourse; bring a RADAR key if you have one, though stewards can help. Wheelchair spaces for visitors are pitchside. A Changing Places room is in the Itchen Stand by prior arrangement with [email protected]. Banners over two square metres need a fire certificate; larger ones must be cleared with the safety officer.
Atmosphere at St Mary's is strongest from the Northam, now packed with home safe standing. From the away corner you will hear that end clearly and sit close to home supporters along Kingsland, so expect banter rather than a quiet afternoon. Sightlines are good from almost every seat. Arrive early, follow Melbourne Street in and out, and you will find a tidy, modern ground that is straightforward once you know the south side is yours.