Portsmouth vs. Arsenal: Head-to-head record and past meetings ahead of FA Cup third-round clash

A spot within the FA Cup fourth spherical would be the reward for the winner of Sunday’s tie between Portsmouth and Arsenal at Fratton Park.

Mikel Arteta’s facet are sitting six factors clear on the prime of the Premier League after choosing up a degree from Thursday’s goalless affair in opposition to Liverpool on the Emirates Stadium.

In the meantime, Portsmouth have hovering simply above the Championship relegation zone and haven’t performed since being thrashed 5-0 by Bristol Metropolis on New 12 months’s Day.

Regardless of that consequence, Pompey can be trying to spring a shock on Sunday, whereas Arsenal will view this as step one to their bid to win a fifteenth FA Cup.

Right here, Sports activities Mole takes an in-depth have a look at the head-to-head report and former conferences between the 2 sides.

Head-to-head report

Earlier conferences: 71

Portsmouth wins: 14

Attracts: 24

Arsenal wins: 33

As one of many giants of English soccer, it can come as no shock to see Arsenal dominate the head-to-head report, having gained 33, drawn 24 and misplaced simply 14 of their 71 aggressive conferences with Portsmouth.

In truth, the Gunners have gone 22 consecutive head-to-head matches with out defeat since dropping 5-4 in a top-flight conflict at Fratton Park in March 1958.

The Gunners have gained every of the final 5 conferences between the 2 sides, together with a 2-0 away victory within the 2019-20 FA Cup fifth spherical, which got here courtesy of targets from Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Eddie Nketiah.

That consequence maintained Arsenal’s exemplary report in opposition to Portsmouth within the FA Cup after beforehand prevailing on three separate events.

The Gunners gained 2-0 within the first FA Cup tie between the 2 golf equipment in February 1932, earlier than they required a replay to progress from a fourth-round tie in 1970, which noticed them draw 1-1 at Fratton Park after which win 3-2 at Highbury on their solution to lifting the trophy.

One other iconic cup conflict came about in 2004 when Thierry Henry starred with a brace in a convincing 5-1 victory at Fratton Park, earlier than he traded shirts with Lomana Lua Lua on the closing whistle after which wore it as an indication of respect to the Portsmouth trustworthy who had been chanting his identify after being left in awe by the Frenchman’s soccer wizardry.

Gamers within the Improper Shirt | Half 2 ?

Swapping shirts at full-time has given us the prospect to see some gamers sporting shirts they’ve by no means worn earlier than!

Thierry Henry within the Portsmouth 2003 Dwelling

(Thread?) pic.twitter.com/4U3i2N5ou1

— Basic Soccer Shirts (@classicshirts) August 28, 2023

Henry later mentioned: “I wore the Portsmouth shirt for these particular followers. They had been singing my identify, asking me to present them a wave and all that form of factor. I’ve by no means skilled that in my life. This was an away sport and I used to be from the opposite group. They are surely super.”

In the meantime, Arsenal cruised to 2 4-1 victories when the 2 sides had been final in the identical league collectively within the 2009-10 Premier League marketing campaign.

Abou Diaby grabbed a brace within the residence assembly in August 2009, earlier than Samir Nasri, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Music all received on the scoresheet simply months later within the return fixture.

Henry is the second-highest scorer on this fixture, along with his nine-goal tally leaving him only one behind one other Arsenal legend, Cliff Bastin.

In the meantime, Peter Harris tops Pompey’s scoring charts within the fixture after scoring seven targets in opposition to the North London membership.