We’ve played Portsmouth eleven times under Arsene and are yet to be beaten by the Hampshire side, winning five times and drawing six. We hadn’t beaten them since December 2005 before the victory in the corresponding fixture early last season

The last game of a torrid year to be an Arsenal fan approaches. I’m glad to see the back of it. We’re now at the half way stage of this season, and we’ve just drawn the two games we really needed to win given our position, despite leading in both matches, and Champions League qualification is now out of our hands. A win against Liverpool would have kept us loosely involved in the title race, and a win yesterday on top of that would have seen us comfortably in the top four ahead of Villa. I don’t really want to do a half-season assessment, when I look at the league table and see us only three points clear of Everton, who have won one home game this season. That says it all. Comedy defending, as usual, has cost us two massively important wins, and now we have to wait for Villa to fuck up for us to have a good chance of getting into the top four. But we’ve faced challenges to our fourth placed status after similarly calamitous starts before and come out of it OK, even if it does have to go to the last day again.

Both recent games were fairly random and hard to take anything from. We probably would have beaten a lacklustre Liverpool side had it not been for the red card and Cesc’s injury, and we then had to watch the team top of the league play out a draw against ten men. We ridiculously rode our luck in the first half against Villa, before putting on a masterful display for half of the second half and gaining a two goal lead. Even after giving away the penalty, we weathered the storm that inevitably comes when a team gains confidence from a goal, and looked comfortable for the win. Then Zat Knight pops up with a sweeter hit than he ever has and ever will manage, and we’re out of the top four. Now we take on Portsmouth, who were soundly stuffed at home by West Ham of all teams on boxing day. Tony Adams is having a real tough time of it at the moment, Pompey have lost their last three league games, conceding nine goals. We have to look at this game as very winnable, even with our depleted resources. And given the current threat to our top four status, every game is a must win.

We’ve played Portsmouth eleven times under Arsene and are yet to be beaten by the Hampshire side, winning five times and drawing six. We hadn’t beaten them since December 2005 before the victory in the corresponding fixture early last season, a 3-1 win made all the more impressive by the second half being player with ten men after Senderos’ second yellow card. We’ve played Portsmouth at home five times since their return to the top flight, resulting in three wins and two draws.

Team News

Adebayor will return to the starting line up following his suspension, and Clichy should return to the side. Djourou and Song both picked up match day injuries on Friday, Wenger has mentioned that Song probably won’t be fit but the severity of Djourou’s pre-game injury is unknown. He was in the dugout for the game so it can’t be that bad. His height could be useful against Crouch, Toure and Gallas would have no chance. Without Song, Denilson will either be partnered by Ramsey, with Nasri and Diaby or Eboue on the flanks, or partnered by Diaby, with Nasri and Eboue wide. I suppose that could depend on whether Eboue is ready to start at home again.

Subs: Fabianski, Silvestre, Djourou, Wilshere, Eboue, Vela, Bendtner.

Glen Johnson could return to the side but is a doubt with a knee problem, other than that Pompey don’t have any injury problems that should alter their first team. They may rotate a couple of players due to the close proximity of the fixtures over this weekend.