Gunners surrender top spot
Arsenal have collected just one point from their last three away games
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Wednesday, 26, Dec 2007 10:08
Arsenal have lost top spot in the Premier League after being held to a 0-0 draw by Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The Gunners failed to score for the first time in the league this season and now trail Manchester United by one point.
Arsene Wenger stuck with the same side that beat Tottenham 2-1 on Saturday, while Pompey made three changes with Lauren, Kanu, and Richard Hughes starting.
In a dreary first half, the Gunners carved out the first chance with Emmanuel Eboue trading passes with Emmanuel Adebayor before lashing the ball over the bar from 12 yards out.
Croatia striker Nico Kranjcar went agonisingly close for the home side after turning on the edge of the box and firing a shot wide of the left-hand post on 27 minutes.
David James showed his credentials to be England's number one goalkeeper after flinging himself across his line to keep out Tomas Rosicky's strike from the edge of the box on 36 minutes.
After little improvement from his side at the start of the second half, Wenger hauled off Eboue on the hour mark and brought on Abou Diaby in search of a winner.
Pompey, who have now drawn 0-0 five times this season, were thwarted by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia who did well to block Kranjcar's shot.
Harry Redknapp's side should have taken the lead 15 minutes from time when Benjani was sent through on goal but Gael Clichy sprinted back to clear before the Zimbabwean could pull the trigger.
Benjani was then brought off for John Utaka while Arsenal replaced Alexander Hleb for Nicklas Bendtner, who came off the bench to score the winner against Spurs on Saturday.
But it was Williams Gallas who missed the Gunners' best chance when the Frenchman swivelled and fired in a shot from five yards out that went narrowly over the bar on 84 minutes.
Czech Rosicky was nearly the hero for the visitors after collecting Bendtner's pinpoint pass and clipping a right-foot shot just wide from ten yards out in the Gunners' last chance of the game.