Portsmouth and Stoke City finished near neighbours last season -- 18th and 17th of 24 -- so rank alone splits nothing here. Against the block the other keeps: Portsmouth takes 2.08 points a game, Stoke City 1.85 -- nothing between them.
Portsmouth: 50 league matches in the bank, 14 from this season and the rest from last season. Stoke City: 50 league matches in the bank, 14 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
Portsmouth -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 9th of 24 after 14 games, with 22 points. Last season it finished 18th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (17th to 24th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 14 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (17th to 24th). Against that block it has won 7, drew 4, lost 1 of 12 -- 25 points of 36. At home against them: won 4 of 7. Away against them: won 3 of 5.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 5, drew 3, lost 8 of 16 (1.12 a game); against the middle block won 3, drew 4, lost 11 of 18 (0.72 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 4, lost 1 of 12 (2.08 a game); against sides new to the division won 2, drew 2, lost 0 of 4 (2.00 a game).
Stoke City -- away
Where it stands
Stands 6th of 24 after 14 games, with 26 points. Last season it finished 17th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the bottom block (17th to 24th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 14 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the bottom block (17th to 24th). Against that block it has won 7, drew 3, lost 3 of 13 -- 24 points of 39. At home against them: won 4 of 7. Away against them: won 3 of 6.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 1, lost 12 of 15 (0.47 a game); against the middle block won 8, drew 4, lost 7 of 19 (1.47 a game); against the bottom block won 7, drew 3, lost 3 of 13 (1.85 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 1, lost 1 of 3 (1.33 a game).
Built 10:03 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.