New Delhi: Arsenal managed to climb back into fourth place after a hard fought win over Portsmouth that came courtesy of a late William Gallas goal.
Arsenal left it late but they eventually managed to pick up all three points against a resilient Portsmouth side, thanks to a Gallas goal less than 10 minutes from time.
The home side were guilty of missing a few clear cut chances throughout the match and it looked as though they were going to draw their fourth successive Premier League match until the defender popped up.
The goal owed plenty to Portsmouth goalkeeper David James though, who flapped at a free-kick, allowing Gallas to head into an empty net.
The win means that the Gunners are back on level terms with Aston Villa in the battle for fourth, but the crowd, and the manager, will not have been too pleased the display.
Returning striker Emmanuel Adebayor could, and should, have put the game to bed on a few occasions but he missed golden chances, whilst others looks flat and uninspired.
Ex-Gunner Tony Adams was given a warm reception on his return to Arsenal, and even though his side fought hard, he will know the result, the fourth straight defeat for his team, does him no favours at all.
First-Half
With both sides low on confidence at the moment, it was no surprise that the match started as a cagey affair, with possession swapping hands frequently. Despite having Emmanuel Adebayor back in the side, Arsenal did not look comfortable, and it looked like they could go behind on the ten minute mark, when David Nugent broke behind the defence. The linesman belatedly lifted his flag though, much to the relief of the home crowd, for what appeared to be a tight offside call.
Playing on the right wing Nugent was looking a real threat in the early exchanges, and was involved in the move which saw the first real chance of the match, as Peter Crouch cracked the woodwork with a header from Marc Wilson's cross. Portsmouth were starting to play with real purpose in a deathly quiet Emirates, but they were indebted to Sylvain Distin thirty minutes in, as he blocked a shot off the line.
It was Adebayor who had the chance, after Emmanuel Eboue had played him in and he rounded David James, only to see Distin block brilliantly on the line. In truth it would have been a harsh goal for Portsmouth to concede, bearing in mind how well they had kept Arsenal at bay all match, and they didn't let their heads drop after the chance.
Distin and ex-Arsenal man, Sol Campbell, looked solid at the back, and whilst the home side did get a chance to put some good balls into the box, too often they were wasted. Samir Nasri was the main culprit from the dead ball situations, but on the whole Arsenal were struggling to get into the game, as Pompey sat back for stages and soaked up the pressure. The half-time whistle was greeted by an abject silence in the ground and Arsene Wenger was visibly unimpressed on the touchline.
Second-Half
Knowing they needed a goal Arsenal came out looking strong after the whistle and Portsmouth yet again cleared a shot destined for goal, this time Papa Bouba Diop was the saviour from Niklas Bendtner's header, after James had spilled a cross. The pressure was beginning to mount on the southern team and they were lucky not to go behind just ten minutes into the half when Adebayor missed yet another great chance.
The big striker found the ball at his feet, following another error from the Portsmouth goalkeeper, but he failed to hit an empty goal for the second time in the match. The away team could not get the ball from Arsenal wh, in typical style, were passing it around a lot, but without any real end product.
The crowd were growing frustrated by the lack of any cutting edge, and in an attempt to spice things up, Wenger threw on Carlos Vela to replace Eboue. The Mexican was outmuscled on more than one occasion by the Pompey defence though, as Arsenal persisted with their passing game. It did nearly pay off with just twenty minutes left, but this time James was the hero not the villian as he made a good stop from Nasri.
The England international soon changed though as his error led to Arsenal taking the lead with the clock wearing down. It was Denilson who delivered the cross, and the 'keeper flapped at the ball, missing it, and allowing Gallas to head into an empty net. The home crowd knew how important the goal was, and even though it was hard work it seemed as though Arsenal would be rewarded.
The last ten minutes presented just the one moment of panic, as the ball bounced around in the Arsenal box and twice Crouch cracked shots at goal, only for Gael Clichy to eventually clear. The home side did not come under too much pressure though, and the full-time whistle was greeted with a huge cheer, as the Gunners move back into fourth.
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