- Gallas (82)
- Date:2008-12-28
- Kick-off:14:00
- Venue:Emirates Stadium
- Attendance:60092
- Referee:Wiley, A
Live Commentary
90mins
Full-time: ARSENAL 1-0 PORTSMOUTH. The full-time whistle goes and Tony Adams faces up to a fourth straight defeat.
90mins
Papa Bouba Diop is stretchered off and replaced by Noe Pamarot.
90mins
There's three minutes of added time.
90mins
Papa Bouba Diop is down injured after a tackle on Samir Nasri.
89mins
Peter Crouch heads down and Jermain Defoe is in the box but Arsenal are able to clear.
88mins
Jermain Defoe comes on for David Nugent.
87mins
David James just beats Emmanuel Adebayor to the ball to prevent another goal.
85mins
Portsmouth have worked extremely hard but are looking tired now.
83mins
Arsenal are rampant now and Carlos Alberto Vela tries his luck from 20 yards out but his shot is weak.
81mins
ARSENAL 1-0 PORTSMOUTH. David James misses Denilson's free-kick and William GALLAS heads the ball into an empty net.
80mins
Another chance for Arsenal but Portsmouth are shutting them out at every turn.
79mins
David James punches away Samir Nasri's cross before Emmanuel Adebayor can reach it as Arsenal turn up the heat.
77mins
Denilson tries a left-foot volley but it's straight at David James.
76mins
Peter Crouch controls David Nugent's cross well but Nadir Belhadj's effort is weak and gathered by Manuel Almunia.
74mins
Aaron Ramsey is on for Abou Diaby.
72mins
Samir Nasri's effort from an acute angle is saved by David James who was out quickly.
70mins
Another poor Arsenal pass is intercepted but Portsmouth have no-one forward.
68mins
Arsenal have another corner but Nicklas Bendtner's header bounces off Abou Diaby for a goal-kick.
67mins
The corner is cleared by Portsmouth.
67mins
Carlos Alberto Vela is straight into the action and his cross is put behind for a corner by Marc Wilson.
66mins
Emmanuel Eboue is replaced by Carlos Alberto Vela.
65mins
The crowd aren't happy as another pass goes astray.
63mins
The game badly needs a goal to liven it up.
61mins
Arsenal could have been two nil up if they'd capitalised on mistakes by David James.
59mins
David James's mistake from Samir Nasri's cross lets in Emmanuel Adebayor but he can only find the side netting.
58mins
Nadir Belhadj puts in a great cross but it's not met by a Portsmouth player and Arsenal counterattack.
56mins
The crowd have come to life and are trying to lift Arsenal.
55mins
Niko Kranjcar defends well under pressure from Emmanuel Adebayor and Bacary Sagna and wins a free-kick.
53mins
Nicklas Bendtner goes down in the area under a challenge from Sylvain Distin but the referee doesn't want to know.
52mins
Emmanuel Adebayor accidentally collides with Sylvain Distin's knee but he's okay.
51mins
Nadir Belhadj's free-kick is cleared by the Arsenal wall.
50mins
Richard Hughes is injured and is replaced by Arnold Mvuemba.
49mins
Peter Crouch can't find David Nugent with a poor pass.
47mins
David James fumbles a corner and Emmanuel Adebayor heads towards goal but Portsmouth scramble the ball away.
46mins
There's no changes for either side as the second half kicks off.
45mins
Half-time: ARSENAL 0-0 PORTSMOUTH. A slight ripple of applause greets the half-time whistle.
45mins
There's one minute of added time.
45mins
The corner is straight into the arms of David James.
45mins
Samir Nasri's long-range effort is deflected wide for a corner.
44mins
Tony Adams will be the happier manager as half-time approaches.
42mins
Richard Hughes is booked for a poor challenge on Emmanuel Eboue.
41mins
Emmanuel Eboue sets up Samir Nasri for a shot which loops up into the arms of David James.
40mins
Arsenal need to step up the quality of their passing as Emmanuel Eboue gives the ball away.
38mins
Portsmouth have a free-kick which is flicked towards goal by Peter Crouch but Arsenal clear the danger.
37mins
The pace of the game has picked up as Arsenal come forward to try and get the breakthrough before half-time.
35mins
Arsenal clear the corner and Portsmouth have to build again from the back.
35mins
Nadir Belhadj runs at the Arsenal defence after Emmanuel Eboue gives the ball away and they concede a corner.
34mins
Gael Clichy squares the ball to Samir Nasri but David Nugent gets back to defend.
32mins
Emmanuel Adebayor is onside and rounds David James but Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin combine to get the ball away.
30mins
There's hardly any atmosphere in the stadium which doesn't seem to be helping Arsenal.
29mins
Niko Kranjcar has a shot which is blocked and David Nugent is unable to follow up.
28mins
Arsenal are finding it hard to get past Portsmouth and it's very tight out there.
26mins
David Nugent's cross misses everyone and Arsene Wenger is out of his dugout.
25mins
Despite all Arsenal's possession, it's Portsmouth who have had the best chance so far with that Crouch header.
24mins
Marc Wilson puts in a high floating cross and Peter Crouch heads against the post with Manuel Almunia beaten.
22mins
Some Arsenal fans are booing their own players as they haven't made the most of a counterattack, passing to each other but going nowhere.
20mins
Bacary Sagna puts in a good cross which is missed by Emmanuel Adebayor and well defended by Portsmouth.
18mins
The crowd are very quiet today at the Emirates.
16mins
The corner comes to nothing and Arsenal need to find a cutting edge.
15mins
Arsenal counter after Peter Crouch and David Nugent exchange passes on the edge of the area and Nadir Belhadj concedes a corner.
13mins
Portsmouth are settling more into the game now but Peter Crouch is isolated up front.
11mins
Samir Nasri's corner is met by Nicklas Bendtner but his header is over the bar.
10mins
Samir Nasri robs Marc Wilson of the ball but plays it too far in front of Emmanuel Adebayor.
8mins
Arsenal are retaining possession well and Portsmouth are chasing shadows.
6mins
The windy conditions at the Emirates could cause a few mistakes today.
5mins
Arsenal win their first corner but the ball is put behind for a goal-kick by Mikael Silvestre.
3mins
It's been a tentative opening by both teams, neither wanting to make any mistakes.
2mins
The Arsenal fans are singing a tribute to their old captain and are acknowleged by Tony Adams.
1mins
Arsenal forge an early attack but Nicklas Bendtner is offside.
1mins
The game gets underway.
0mins
We're almost ready for kick-off, can Tony Adams kick-start Portsmouth's season against his old club?
Match Preview
Arsenal welcome Emmanuel Adebayor back from suspension for the visit of Portsmouth to the Emirates Stadium.
The Togo international missed the 2-2 Boxing Day draw with Aston Villa following his sending off against Liverpool last weekend.
He will return alongside Robin van Persie as manager Arsene Wenger reverts to his regular 4-4-2 formation.
Elsewhere, Wenger has injury doubts over defenders Johan Djourou and Gael Clichy (both calf), while Cesc Fabregas (knee), Theo Walcott (shoulder), Eduardo (broken leg) and Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) all remain absent.
Wenger though must rally his troops after they threw away a two-goal lead at Villa Park and dropped more points in the title race.
The Frenchman admitted he is becoming increasingly frustrated with his side's inability to hold onto leads.
"It's frustrating because I feel we tried very hard. It was an average football game but with a little bit more composure we could have scored five goals today," he said.
"The spirit was fantastic. Spirit is needed but not sufficient."
Former Gunners skipper Tony Adams will make his first return as a manager when he takes an out-of-form Pompey side to the Emirates Stadium.
The Boxing Day 4-1 mauling at the hands of West Ham United saw the south coast club drop into the bottom half of the table on the back of a four-match domestic winless run.
Adams' brief reign has already come into question, but the Arsenal legend is retaining a positive outlook.
"People will see the (4-1) result but there definitely are some positives in there," he said.
"We are creating chances and going forwards but we are getting done on the counter-attack."
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Match Report
An 82nd minute goal from William Gallas kept Arsenal in the title hunt, but Tony Adams' Portsmouth made his former club's current crop look rather ordinary.
With the former Gunners captain making his first return to the home of Arsenal as a manager and the disastrous 4-1 defeat to West Ham still fresh in their memory, one would have expected a visiting side set up to strike on the counter-attack.
Surprisingly, however, dangerman Jermain Defoe was left on the bench with Peter Crouch alone in attack.
Crouch has a good record against the Gunners, but judging from the early exchanges with the visitors pressed back in their own half for most of the time, it was difficult to see many chances going his way.
However, one did come on 24 minutes when he got on to the end of a superb ball forward by Marc Wilson.
The England striker beat Gallas and redirected the ball goalwards but, with Manuel Almunia beaten, he was denied by the left upright and there was no-one on hand to tap in the rebound.
That opportunity gave Pompey more confidence to commit more men forward and pressure the Gunners.
Arsenal should really have taken the lead on 32 minutes and would have done but for some superb defending by Sylvain Distin.
Emmanuel Adebayor was set loose in space by a superb Abou Diaby through ball. The Togo striker took the ball around David James but Distin slid in to take it off his foot as the trigger was about to be pulled.
The Gunners came out with more urgency after the re-start and could have gone ahead within seconds after James flapped at a cross.
The ball fell to Mikael Silvestre who nodded it towards Adebayor, but his goal bound flick was blocked on the line by Sol Campbell.
Adebayor missed a golden chance on 60 minutes when found by a long ball forward with time and space but fired into the side-netting.
Arsene Wenger then brought on Carlos Vela for Emmanuel Eboue and switched Nicklas Bendtner over to the right flank.
The Mexican looked dangerous and added impetus to Arsenal's ponderous attack.
Portsmouth had chances of their own, although they were less clear-cut.
Almunia made a comfortable save from a Crouch header and from a Nadir Belhadj shot in the 76th minute.
With Arsenal turning up the pressure, the goal eventually came from Gallas in the 82nd minute.
Denilson delivered a free-kick from the left flank and Gallas arrived late to meet the ball and redirect it powerfully past James.
That was enough for all the points and for the Gunners to stay within ten points of the leaders to keep their title hopes alive.
Arsenal Team
Portsmouth Team
Arsenal | Portsmouth |
Corners
| 11 | 2 |
Fouls
| 9 | 9 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 4 |
Shots off target
| 4 | 0 |
Offsides
| 7 | 4 |
90mins
Samir Nasri has a low left-foot shot which hits the side netting.