Sheffield Wednesday ended their winless Championship start with a deserved 2-0 victory at Portsmouth, as Barry Bannan's free-kick and teenager George Brown's first senior goal punctured a strangely subdued Fratton Park. Having arrived with just one point from their first five games and on the back of a midweek EFL Cup upset against Grimsby, the visitors produced a disciplined, energetic performance that belied their league position.
In contrast, Portsmouth never reproduced the intensity that had underpinned last weekend's south-coast derby draw at bitter rivals Southampton. John Mousinho's side, missing injured first-choice goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid and talisman Josh Murphy, were ragged in possession, loose at the back and slow to react in both boxes, slipping to only a second league defeat of the season and dropping into the bottom half of the table.
Protests, Pressure and Bannan's Captain's Strike
The afternoon began in disjointed fashion for both clubs. Mousinho made only two changes from the draw at Southampton, with reserve keeper Ben Killip replacing Schmid and Swansea loanee Florian Bianchini coming in for Murphy, who watched from the directors' box. Opposite number Henrik Pedersen responded to Wednesday's cup exit with eight alterations, restoring experienced figures such as captain Bannan and defender Dominic Iorfa to a side that had struggled for rhythm in the opening weeks.