Arsenal V Portsmouth Preview

Arsenal vs Portsmouth, Saturday 22 August 2009, Emirates Stadium, Kick-Off: 15:00

Arsenal

Arsenal are attempting to make it into the top four this season to guarantee a Champions League spot for next year. They slipped to fifth at one point last year, but have come out with guns blazing after demolishing Everton 6-1 at Goodison Park in the season opener.

The Gunners also beat Celtic 2-0 away on Tuesday (Aug 16) to take a stranglehold in their Champions League qualifying leg. That’s eight goals in two away games to start the season.

New signing Thomas Vermaelen of Belgium has looked impressive at centre back in the first two games and Alex song has been a tower of power in the midfield.

Arsenal sit in third place after one game played, and Cesc Fabregas leads the squad with two goals.

The Gunners will still be without Tomas Rosicky for a couple more weeks and Theo Walcott is also on the shelf for a while with a back problem. Defender Johan Djourou is also on the sidelines and it looks like Sami Nasri will be out until October.

Portsmouth

Portsmouth are a team in disarray at the moment with an unsteady ownership, and it’s showing on the pitch after opening the season with a pair of 1-0 losses at home to Fulham and away to Birmingham, which was on a last-minute penalty. Pompey are sitting third from bottom after two games after placing 14th last season.

Top forward Kanu has signed a month-long deal while 37-year-old goalkeeper Antti Niemi has rejoined the club. Belgian midfielder Anthony Vanden Borre has signed on loan to help out, but the loss of Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson has weakened the team though. Hermann Hreidarsson and Steve Finnan are questionable because of hamstring injuries.

Prediction

In last season’s matches, the Arsenal vs Portsmouth fixture ended with a 1-0 Arsenal win, whilst the Gunners thumped Pompey 3-0 down south at Fratton Park.

On paper and going by present form, it looks like Portsmouth is in for a good hiding when they travel north to London on Saturday. It’s Arsenal’s home opener and they are going to want to put on an attacking display for their supporters.

If Portsmouth plays only one striker and invite Arsenal to attack them it’s may prove suicidal for them, and so the question here is probably isn’t going to be who’s going to win, but by how many.

Look for Arsenal to make it three in a row over lowly Portsmouth, who haven't scored an away goal in ages.

Arsenal vs Portsmouth Prediction: Arsenal 4 – Portsmouth 0

For the complete preview (and four other weekend previews) with the best betting odds for the match, go to our Arsenal vs Portsmouth page at the Sports Betting Review website now!