The 2003-04 campaign delivered a successful Premiership debut for Portsmouth, with Pompey securing a vital 13th-place finish and preserving their top-flight status for the first time since 1988. Leading the charge was the clinical forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni, whose 16 league goals proved decisive in a campaign built on fortress Fratton Park and a dramatic late-season rally. It was a standout year that saw Harry Redknapp's side finish ahead of established clubs like Tottenham and Blackburn and remains a defining chapter for the only newly promoted team to survive that season, notably going unbeaten against Arsenal's 'Invincibles'.