The Championship is just over the halfway point with Pompey and a select few other clubs playing catch-up with re-arranged games to come.
Pompey's 4-0 win against Swansea City on New Year's Day was their 23rd game of the campaign, which represents the halfway stage of the season. Josh Murphy, Paddy Lane, Ryley Towler, and Colby Bishop all found the back of the net in a convincing victory against a side that are comfortably mid-table and recovered two wins over the festive period. With 69 points now played for, Pompey had a return of 23 points, which currently has them a point above the relegation zone with a couple of games in hand.
Reflecting on their most recent win, John Mousinho said to the BBC: "A brilliant win. Great to get a clean sheet, great to score four goals and the performance backed it up against what I think is a really, really good side.
"Swansea can cause you all sorts of problems and sometimes you do have to ride your luck. At 2-0 we were a bit fortunate not to concede a goal, but at the same time we had plenty of chances in the first half.
"Against Swansea, I think they are the best side in the league for possession, maybe apart from Leeds. They are fantastic the way they dominate the ball, the way they rotate.
"But I thought we dealt with that really well. I think three of the four goals are from the way that we press, then we got the set-piece as well."
Games postponed against Blackburn Rovers and Millwall have been arranged for January 15, and January 28. In total, Mousinho's men will play eight games in the first month of 2025, with seven league games and one FA Cup tie.
Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle also have re-arranged games to come with the Bluebirds taking on Watford, and Plymouth Argyle hosting Oxford United, who have begun to steer away from the relegation dogfight under Gary Rowett.
Out of the 12 teams in the bottom half of the table, only Pompey, QPR, Derby County, and Luton Town have stuck with the manager they had at the start of the season. Stoke City recently appointed Mark Robins who was axed by Coventry City, whilst Plymouth are looking for a replacement for Wayne Rooney who left on New Year's Eve.
January will be a pivotal month for all clubs hoping to avoid the drop. Many of them have changed managers and now they have to persuade players from other teams to join them. Pompey are hoping to do some business of their own and The News understands that up to four players could arrive this month.
A comfortable win against the Swans has renewed the optimism of supporters, but a long trip up to Sunderland awaits them next on Sunday. So what are Pompey's chances of survival and avoiding an immediate return to League One? We take a look at the latest predicted finishes for clubs across the Championship.

1. Burnley - 105 points
MP: 46. W: 31. D: 12. L:3. GF: 75. GA: 24. GD: 51. Pts: 105. | Getty Images

2. Sunderland - 97 points
MP: 46. W: 29. D: 10. L:7. GF: 74. GA: 37. GD: 37. Pts: 97. | Getty Images

3. Leeds United - 93 points
MP: 46. W: 27. D: 12. L:7. GF: 82. GA: 39. GD: 43. Pts: 93. | Getty Images

4. West Brom - 83 points
MP: 46. W: 23. D: 14. L:9. GF: 68. GA: 41. GD: 27. Pts: 83. | Getty Images