Portsmouth 1 Arsenal 4:THIS ARENA bristled in mutinous mood last night, yet Arsenal's progress in the maelstrom was serene.
Victory has hoisted the London side back to within four points of Chelsea at the top with a chance to vault above Manchester United into second place tantalisingly close against a managerless Bolton Wanderers next midweek. This campaign feels as promising for Arsenal as it is proving treacherous for Portsmouth.
The visitors were always comfortable here in the Premier League’s first fixture not to feature an Englishman in either starting line-up, with the home side steadily falling into disarray.
For all the huff and puff, Pompey endured a trouncing.
Alex Song’s late header, converted with ease around static defenders, summed up the gulf in class leaving the hosts still four points adrift at the foot and rudderless.
The home support, so dismayed by off-field traumas, were reduced to spitting abuse at those representatives of their latest owners shivering in the directors’ box.
Arsenal had arrived on the south coast buoyed by their medical staff’s assessment that Cesc Fabregas might be missing for only 10 days rather than the initial prognosis of nearer three weeks. Arsene Wenger is encouraged the midfielder might be available for the visit of Everton next weekend.
He did not appear needed here. Aaron Ramsey had been handed a chance to impress in the captain’s absence, and the Welshman quickly adopted his side’s metronomic, smooth passing style as they weathered the hosts’ urgent opening.
Before the interval they had duly eased into a comfortable advantage. Their lead owed much to early resilience: smart blocks from William Gallas and Manuel Almunia denied Kevin-Prince Boateng, though the locals’ mood was rebellious. This had already been an unsettling day, with confirmation of HMRC’s winding up petition unnerving in the build-up. Once behind, every backward pass or wayward attempt fuelled the murmuring discontent in the stands.
That the opening goal shipped just before the half-hour was pitifully soft added to the gloom. Hermann Hreidarsson had back-pedalled towards his left post as Eduardo da Silva prepared to take a free-kick some 25 yards out, but, as the Croatia international meandered up to strike, the defender inexplicably hopped to his right and away from the upright.
Eduardo’s attempt was tame but flicked off Younes Kaboul just wide of the defensive wall and Hreidarsson merely turned to watch it nestle in the corner.
At least the hosts could claim the visitors’ second was not self-inflicted, though that was scant consolation. Song prised them apart with a wonderful diagonal pass for Eduardo to collect, with the ball then ferried inside from the Croatian to Ramsey and on to Samir Nasri to fizz a low shot beyond Asmir Begovic.
By the time the Pompey captain, Aaron Mokoena, was booked for crunching into Ramsey moments later, the home support had turned, pleading with the referee, Alan Wiley, to dismiss their own player. There were boos at the interval, with Pompey trudging off as if broken men.
Three of this squad – Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda and Nwankwo Kanu – will join Aruna Dindane in Angola this week for the African Cup of Nations, leaving Avram Grant’s options even more stretched.
Ramsey’s display had been eye-catching already but, having robbed Yebda just outside the area, he imposed himself on the occasion with a left-footed shot battered from distance and beyond a sprawling Begovic.
Belhadj side-footed a consolation moments later, his attempt flicking off a mess of defenders.
Guardian Service
PORTSMOUTH:Begovic, Finnan, Kaboul, Ben-Haim, Hreidarsson, Yebda, Mokoena (Vanden Borre 58), Hughes (Brown 90), Belhadj, Boateng (Kanu 71), Piquionne. Subs not used: Ashdown, Diop, Utaka, Wilson. Booked: Mokoena, Hughes.
ARSENAL:Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Ramsey, Song Billong, Diaby, Nasri (Eastmond 85), Eduardo (Rosicky 71), Arshavin (Vela 82). Subs not used: Fabianski, Silvestre, Wilshere, Merida.
Referee:Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).
