Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - A massive weight was lifted off the shoulders of Portsmouth manager Paul Hart on Saturday as his club earned a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton, the first for Pompey this season after seven successive defeats.

The south coast club's struggles to start the campaign set a Premier League record for futility, and they were also in danger of making more negative history as major financial troubles threatened to make Portsmouth the first top-flight club to go broke.

Sulaiman Al Fahim purchased the club in August, but after only five weeks in charge, it was determined that he didn't have the necessary funds to run it.

This caused rising debts at the club and even prevented the players from receiving their paychecks.

However, the disaster has been averted as Saudi Arabian investor Ali Al Faraj completed a takeover of the club on Tuesday, preventing Portsmouth from going into administration, which carries a nine-point deduction in the standings and would almost certainly doom the club to life in the Championship next season.

The player salaries have since been paid and after coming off their first win of the season, things are starting to look up.

It may have been only one win, but there have been signs through the first eight games of the season that Portsmouth is much better than its record would indicate.

There is now a positive vibe going around Fratton Park, and defender Younes Kaboul is drawing on some recent history for his upbeat attitude.

"We can go forward from this," Kaboul said following the win on Saturday. "Spurs were in the same position as us last season and finished in the top 10. Our aim is to stay in the Premier League."

There are a number of other clubs near the bottom of the table that have that same goal, but here are the reasons why Portsmouth will actually achieve it, despite its horrible start.

ALI AL FARAJ:

Not too much is known about the Saudi Arabian investor other than the fact that he brings a much-needed infusion of cash to the club. Under former owner Al Fahim, Pompey was drowning in debt, which would have given Hart no real chance to bolster his squad come the January transfer window. However, with Al Faraj running things, the outlook is much brighter for Pompey.

"Our aim is to put a stable foundation in place in all aspects of the business, beginning with the financial restructuring of the club," Al Faraj told the club's official website following his takeover. "Once this is in place we can assess our approach to building a much-needed new training ground and redeveloping Fratton Park."

The fact that there is a real plan in place will be reassuring and will help to calm fears over a major financial crisis.

With Al Faraj in charge, the team can now focus its full attention on getting results, not whether they will be paid on time.

PAUL HART:

The manager has remained positive in the face of adversity, and despite constant speculation over his job status, Hart has continued to focus on getting results. He seems to be a man who is not easily rattled, which is an important quality for a manager facing a potential relegation battle, and now that he has gotten the monkey off his back, it is clear that Hart is not satisfied with just one win.

"We've been through the mill in many ways - the club, the players, the fans, everyone working with us, but we have stuck together," Hart said. "They are a great bunch of lads, they have shown great spirit and they have never wavered. The win was absolutely brilliant and I am pleased for everyone connected with the club. We've had a tough time but I don't think it should finish with these three points. We need to build on that."

ARUNA DINDANE AND TOMMY SMITH:

One of the main reasons for Portsmouth's early-season struggles was a lack of goals. The team has scored just four times in its first eight games, with two of those goals from a defender. However, there is reason to believe that the offense will find its stride with a new strike partnership.

Both Dindane and Smith joined Pompey in August, and they have started the last two games up top for Hart. Neither has found the back of the net to this point, but given time, this duo could help the team solve its scoring woes.

In those two games Pompey's attack has been much more potent and both Dindane and Smith have done everything but put the ball in the net.

Portsmouth has one of the better goalkeepers in the league in David James, and defensively they are not as bad as their record would lead you to believe. The club has already lost four games by a 1-0 score, so a few more goals from the new strike duo could make a big difference.

THE FANS:

When your team loses its first seven games, it is easy to turn on them, but Pompey supporters have been fantastic so far, and there is no reason to believe that anything will change.

A prime example came in the 1-0 loss to Everton at Fratton Park, the seventh straight loss for the team. The Pompey supporters were in full voice throughout the game, and although their team was extremely unlucky not to come away with a point, they cheered the players as they left the pitch, still voicing their support for a winless team.

The gesture did not go unnoticed by the players, and Kaboul credited the fans following the first win.

"The fans were massive," the defender said after Saturday's win. "Since the start of the season they've been behind us and I wanted to say a big thanks."

LUCK:

Through the first seven games, Lady Luck was very cruel to Portsmouth as the club was on the wrong end of one bad bounce after another.

In the opening-day loss to Fulham, Clint Dempsey's shot struck Bobby Zamora in the back and found its way past James for the lone goal, while the next match also provided a heartbreaking loss at Birmingham.

Pompey appeared on its way to a point at St Andrews when James crashed into Birmingham's Sebastian Larsson inside the area, allowing James McFadden to bury the penalty kick in stoppage time for a 1-0 win.

The Everton loss was equally frustrating as Pompey dominated long stretches of the game and had a header come back off the crossbar and a shot cleared off the goal line in the final 10 minutes as Everton left Fratton Park with a very fortunate 1-0 win.

However, Lady Luck may have finally changed her tune as Hart's men were the recipient of a good break in Saturday's win. With Portsmouth protecting a 1-0 lead in the second half, Wolves substitute Michael Kightly sent a cross into the box from the right wing. The ball struck the arm of Portsmouth's Marc Wilson, which should have given Wolves a penalty kick, but the referee's whistle remained silent and Pompey held on for the win.

Over the course of a season, things like that have a way of balancing themselves out, and with all that Portsmouth went through in the first seven games of the season, they may have a few more fortuitous breaks coming their way.