Arsenal recover to rescue point
Emmanuel Adebayor scored first for Arsenal
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Saturday, 16, Dec 2006 07:51
Arsenal came back from two goals down to take a point from their clash with Portsmouth as Emmanuel Adebayor and Gilberto netted in a 2-2 draw.
Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, who replaced the injured Freddie Ljungberg, both threatened early on in an assured opening half from the Ashburton Grove outfit.
But in spite of their pressure a lapse in concentration from the Gunners' defence during a Portsmouth set-piece put them behind just a couple of minutes short of the break.
Matt Taylor's free kick found the forehead of the diminutive David Thompson whose effort came back off the post to Noe Pamarot, who nodded in the opener.
Just a minute after the restart and things went from bad to worse for the hosts as Taylor showed that his wonder-goal last weekend was no fluke with a dipping volley crashing into Jens Lehmann's top corner.
Manager Arsene Wenger had been apoplectic for no discernible reason when Steve Bennett blew for the interval and had been dispatched to the stands for his protests by referee.
But the French tactician seemed to benefit from being away from the touchline and, after cooling his temper, sent on Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor for the anonymous Jeremie Aliadiare in an attempt to rescue the game.
Four minutes after the introduction the rangy forward converted Theo Walcott's low cross to cut Pompey's lead and set up an enthralling last 25 minutes.
It was the ex-Southampton starlet who again did the damage against his former south coast rivals when he collected Adebayor's deep cross and found Gilberto in the middle for the equaliser just four minutes later.
The momentum now all lay with the home side as they pushed forward in an attempt to regain the third spot, taken by Liverpool earlier in the day.
Robin van Persie's mazy run picked away through the visitors' rearguard but his finish found only the side-netting while Gilberto came within inches of his second.
But, with Sol Campbell to the fore on his first return to his old club, Pompey held out to take a well-earned point.