Portsmouth 1 Arsenal 1
Arsenal's attempt to end the league season unbeaten is now only two games from a successful conclusion after they came back from a goal down to take a point from Portsmouth. But while the champions occasionally hinted at the kind of fluency which has brought them a 13-point lead in the table, they are limping their way into the history books. This was their third successive draw.
Portsmouth must take much credit for the manner in which Arsenal were frustrated. While a team in such impressive form are always likely to present a challenge, Pompey showed that their recent successes have been built not just on confidence but quality.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni's goal was his seventh in eight games, and he should have had another after Lomana LuaLua's flick sent him clear in the second half. Had Jens Lehmann not made that save, Arsenal might have followed Liverpool and Manchester United in being beaten here this season.
No side this term had come closer to destroying Arsenal's unbeaten record than Portsmouth, who were held at Highbury in September thanks only to Thierry Henry's twice-taken, and controversial, penalty.
But it seemed memories of that day had been exorcised by a thoroughly one-sided 5-1 win for Arsenal here in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Harry Redknapp's team had clearly been told to concentrate their efforts on defence, standing off their opponents in midfield in order to ensure adequate cover at the back. This initially frustrated Arsenal.
Portsmouth's two forwards, however, had sufficient pace to seriously threaten on the break, and Aiyegbeni and LuaLua came close after speeding respectively down left and right.
As the half progressed the visitors had appeared to be imposing themselves, and just before the half-hour Jose Antonio Reyes clipped the top of the bar with a fine, left-foot drive from distance.
This did indeed signal an imminent breakthrough, but not to the visitors. Less than a minute later, Matthew Taylor's long pass clipped the head of Kolo Toure and ran for Aiyegbeni to race into the area and chip over Lehmann.
The visitors emerged after the interval intent on rescuing their record. Within three minutes Freddie Ljungberg found space on the left of the penalty area and passed inside to the unmarked Thierry Henry. Shaka Hislop was equal to the Frenchman's effort, his save pushing the ball first onto the bar and then a post before it was cleared.
Henry's next intervention was less easily resisted. This time he crossed from the left, the ball was headed unconvincingly to the edge of the area and Reyes volleyed left-footed low into the corner of the goal. Five minutes later the Spaniard should have put Arsenal into the lead but, having been played through, he slipped on the wet turf and shot well over the bar.
PORTSMOUTH:Hislop; Curtis, Stefanovic, De Zeeuw, Taylor, Stone, Quashie, Faye, Hughes, LuaLua, Yakubu (Mornar 80). Subs not used: Wapenaar, Duffy, Harper, Sheringham. Goals: Yakubu 30.
ARSENAL:Lehmann; Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Ljungberg (Aliadiere 90), Vieira, Parlour, Bentley (Kanu 61), Reyes (Keown 90), Henry. Subs not used: Shaaban, Clichy. Booked: Campbell, Parlour. Goals: Reyes 50.
Referee:M Riley (W Yorkshire).