Steve Davis expects Portsmouth to go one better and win promotion this season.

Although Crewe Alexandra have started the new season with two terrific away performances at Stevenage and at Sheffield United in the first round of the EFL Cup, Steve Davis says the pressure is still on Portsmouth when they arrive in South Cheshire this weekend.

Paul Cook’s Pompey side narrowly missed out on promotion last season after losing out to Plymouth in the play-offs and the club described as Davis ‘as the biggest in our league’ will be aiming to put that right this season and claim automatic promotion if possible.

Ahead of our first home of the season, Steve told crewealex.net: “It is a great first home game for us and we will see where we are after it. They are the favourites for promotion and I think every manager in this league would say that when you see the squad they have, the resources they have and the fan based they have.

“Portsmouth are a big club. They were a big club in the Premier League and the Championship, never mind League Two. I’m sure they will bring a large following up to Crewe. They are always well supported and it should be a great atmosphere to start the season at our ground.

 He added: “They will expect to go up this season and the pressure and expectation will be on them. Paul knows that and all we can do is enjoy it, work hard and play as well as we have been doing. It will be a good measure for us.”