Gallas´s late winner sinks Pompey

William Gallas’s goal nine minutes from time enabled Arsenal to reclaim fourth place in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth at the Emirates Stadium here Sunday.

Victory saw the Gunners move ahead of Aston Villa, who do not play until Tuesday, on goals scored, although they remain 10 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The win also ended a run of three successive drawn games that had also seen captain Cesc Fabregas ruled out until March by injury.

Portsmouth, managed by former Arsenal captain Tony Adams, frustrated Arsenal for long periods but had no answer to Gallas’s 81st-minute header.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made three changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Villa on Boxing Day.

Alex Song missed out through injury but Robin van Persie and Kolo Toure found themselves on the bench as Gael Clichy, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor returned, with the latter having served a one-match ban following his sending off in last week’s 1-1 draw with leaders Liverpool.

Adams also made changes following his side’s 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham. Papa Bouba Diop and David Nugent came in for Glen Little and Jermain Defoe, the former Spurs striker, who were named as substitutes.

Current Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who signed Defoe for Portsmouth 11 months ago, chose the occasion to go public on his attempts to re-sign the 26-year-old, claiming the south coast club had already received a “massive offer” he was unwilling to match.

Whether Pompey have now decided to sell the England forward was unclear but this was Nugent’s first start of a season in which Adams had not given him even an hour’s worth of action before kick-off.

Nugent began on the right of a five-man midfield as Pompey opted to use Peter Crouch as a lone front-man.

The plan worked as Arsenal were able to exert pressure only occasionally in the first 20 minutes through set-pieces that came to nothing.

It was Pompey who at last brought the game to life when Crouch hit a post in the 23rd minute.

Nugent crossed from the right and the striker, having out-jumped Gallas, saw his header bounce back off the post with Gunners keeper Manuel Almunia beaten.

Sylvain Distin prevented Adebayor from giving Arsenal the lead eight minutes later with a superb late intervention

Samir Nasri saw a shot deflected narrowly behind after Richard Hughes had been booked for chopping Abou Diaby down but the half ended with Portsmouth’s David James not having had to make a single save of note.

The England goalkeeper almost gifted Arsenal an opener two minutes into the second-half when he flapped Nasri’s corner to Mikael Silverstre.

Adebayor tried to pounce but the ball was cleared. Adebayor had only himself to blame for wasting Arsenal’s next attack, which saw James punch a Denilson cross straight to the forward on the left of the box.

Again defenders were quick to react but Adebayor could only hit the side-netting with a right-footed effort.

Wenger sacrificed Emmanuel Eboue for an extra attacker in the 66th minute but it was the teenager Carlos Vela who came on, not van Persie.

James made a fine save with a leg to deny Nasri, who fired in a shot from a tight angle, before Arsenal Aaron Ramsey replaced Diany with 15 minutes left.

Nadir Belhadj forced a rare save from Almunia following a Crouch back-heel.

But hopes of an away win were dashed when Diop rashly fouled Vela near the left touchline and France defender Gallas headed home Denilson’s free-kick, with James again failing to make any contact after coming off his line.

There was a further blow for the away side when Diop, taken off on a stretcher, was hurt as Denilson challenged.