The FA Cup fifth round starts with Arsenal visiting League One club Portsmouth and Joe Townsend anticipates a tough night for the Premier League side.
Recommended bets
Portsmouth vs Arsenal - Monday March 2 – 8pm BT Sport 1
Arsenal to win & both teams to score at 15/8
Click on the above link to directly place this bet with Sky Bet
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
The fifth round begins with a first FA Cup meeting between these sides since the Gunners won 5-1 at Fratton Park in the 2004 quarter-finals. That match took place during the first of Pompey’s seven consecutive seasons as a Premier League team – they now sit two divisions and 37 places below Arsenal in English football’s pyramid.
But the north London club, and head coach Mikel Arteta, head into this game under growing pressure following their shock Europa League last-16 exit at the hands of Olympiakos on Thursday. Prior to that result there had been growing optimism thanks to one defeat in 12 matches since Arteta’s arrival, with a battling win over Everton securing a third successive victory in all competitions and reigniting hopes of Champions League qualification; how quickly football can quickly change.
Few teams have won more matches than Portsmouth in 2020, with Kenny Jackett’s side coming out on top in 13 of their last 15 matches. In fact their run of form stretching all the way back to late September, since a 4-0 Carabao Cup thrashing by bitter rivals Southampton, has seen them swap a Sky Bet League One relegation battle for an automatic-promotion push, currently sitting in third. That has been built on making Fratton Park a fortress – their only home defeat this season was that Hampshire derby loss, winning 20 and drawing the other five.
Arteta has hinted at possibly giving players who have struggled for game-time some much-needed minutes, but Arsenal’s Europa League exit may result in a change in tack as an early trophy on his managerial resume would surely help the 37-year-old rookie settle in.
Veteran boss Jackett might have second thoughts about where his own priorities lie given Portsmouth’s late-season collapse last term. Having been League One’s long-time leaders, they lost in the play-off semi-finals after a fixture pile-up due to strong runs in the FA Cup and Checkatrade Trophy, which they won, ultimately caught up with them.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been lethal since Arteta became boss, scoring eight goals in nine matches under the Spaniard and expect the Arsenal captain to be fired up after missing a sitter in the dying moments of their shock defeat against Olympiakos. The Gunners have not found goal-scoring a problem since Unai Emery was sacked but their defence remains leaky.
That, combined with Portsmouth’s enviable home record, physicality and set-piece strength makes an Arsenal clean sheet unlikely, but they should have more than enough to get through.
Opta stats
- Portsmouth haven’t beaten Arsenal in any competition since winning a league match 5-4 in March 1958, drawing eight and losing 13 of their 21 meetings since then
- Arsenal have progressed from all three of their previous FA Cup ties against Portsmouth, with the most recent such match coming in the quarter-final in 2003-04 (5-1 at Fratton Park)
- When not a top-flight club themselves, Portsmouth have lost their last five FA Cup ties against Premier League opponents, since beating Nottingham Forest in 1998-99.
- Arsenal have progressed from their last 12 FA Cup ties against sides from the third tier or lower, since losing 1-2 against fourth division Wrexham in January 1992
- Portsmouth are looking to reach the quarter-final of the FA Cup for the first time since 2009-10, when they ended up reaching the final
- All three of Arsenal’s FA Cup goals this season have been scored by English players under the age of 21
Odds correct at 1200 GMT on 02/03/20