Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe. Picture: Steve Read

But that they were and the Blues spent seven seasons in the top flight between 2003 and 2010.

The Premier League celebrated its 25th anniversary last season and a table by StatBunker ranks the 47 teams who have competed in England’s top divison down the years.

Pompey sit a respectable 30th, despite their seven-year absence. From 266 matches, the Blues gathered 293 points, with the majority of them being won during Harry Redknapp’s two spells.

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Overall, Pompey’s record boasts 79 win, 65 draws and 122 loses with a win ratio of 30 per cent.

The Blues’ best effort came in the 2007-08 season when they finished eighth and won the FA Cup at Wembley.