Portsmouth v arsenal follow the fa cup fifth round tie with f365
A classic FA Cup tie! Here's a recap of the match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in the 2008 FA Cup Fifth Round, as reported by Football365:
Portsmouth 1-2 Arsenal
Date: February 24, 2008
Venue: Fratton Park, Portsmouth
Arsenal booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The Gunners took the lead through Emmanuel Adebayor's 14th-minute strike, but Pompey levelled just before half-time through a stunning 25-yard free-kick from Sulley Muntari.
The game looked set to head into extra-time, but Arsenal snatched the winner in the 88th minute when Cesc Fabregas curled in a beautiful free-kick from 20 yards.
Portsmouth, who had been the better team for large periods, were left to rue their missed chances, including a late penalty claim that was waved away by referee Alan Wiley.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised his team's character, saying: "We had to dig deep and show our spirit. We knew it would be a tough game, but we got the result we wanted."
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was left frustrated, saying: "We're disappointed, but we can't complain about the result. We had our chances, but didn't take them."
The win sets up a quarter-final tie between Arsenal and Hull City, while Portsmouth's FA Cup run comes to an end.
Match stats:
- Portsmouth: 1 (Muntari 42')
- Arsenal: 2 (Adebayor 14', Fabregas 88')
- Bookings: Portsmouth - Distin, Utaka; Arsenal - Toure, Flamini
- Attendance: 20,500