Pompey top scoring charts

Noel Hunt, centre, celebrates his first goal for Pompey, with Conor Chaplin and Danny Rose during Saturdays 4-0 win against Mansfield

No team can better the 21 goals Pompey have registered from their opening eight league games at Fratton Park.

It’s a tally equalled only by runaway League One leaders Scunthorpe over the same duration.

Yet all other clubs, from the Premier League through to League Two, cannot match a Blues’ record which breaks down into 2.62 goals from every home fixture.

Paul Cook’s men staged a late, late goal show to hammer nine-man Mansfield 4-0 last weekend.

In doing so, it represented the third time Pompey have netted four or more goals in a league game at Fratton Park this season.

Additionally, there have been four goals in three home cup outings, although they have still been eliminated from the EFL Cup, FA Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy by November 8.

Cook’s preference for a 4-2-3-1 system involving fielding a lone striker continues to be questioned by many, particularly when employed at Fratton.

Similarly, the possession football, often slow-paced and lacking in directness, has its critics among Blues followers.

Frustration over initially failing to capitalise on Mansfield’s numerical disadvantage on Saturday also spilled into boos, despite the hosts leading 1-0.

Pompey went on to net three goals in the final six minutes, with Noel Hunt and Carl Baker (two) adding gloss.

Regardless of opinion, Cook’s playing style has still managed to yield an impressive 21 goals at Fratton this season.

Plymouth lead League Two by seven points at present, yet have scored seven fewer goals at Home Park, with a tally of 14 from eight fixtures.

Carlisle, currently unbeaten in eight games at Brunton Park, have also scored 14 times.

Third-placed Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool are the closest to matching Pompey’s return, yet even then both have 16 goals – five fewer.

Admittedly, Premier League clubs have been involved in less matches than the three divisions below.

That means league leaders Liverpool have netted 17 times during their five Anfield matches, with Chelsea boasting 18 from six fixtures.

Manchester City and Arsenal are tied on 12 from their six home matches so far this season.

In the Championship, leaders Newcastle have netted on 19 occasions from exactly the same number of games as Pompey. Brighton have 17, while 20th-place Nottingham Forest, surprisingly, have struck 18 times in eight City Ground matches.

Finally, in League One, Scunthorpe top the pile with their 21 goals, with Bradford and Peterborough (both 17) also high scorers.

Promotion hopefuls Sheffield United (11) and Bolton (10) have still found home goals hard to come by, though.

As for free-scoring Pompey, they also possess the second-best goal difference in League Two and the joint-second best defensive home record.

Yet the most crucial statistic of all remains they are presently fourth in the League Two table.