Gunners cruise past Portsmouth

The Portsmouth keeper, hoping to take advantage of Paul Robinson's collapse in form, brought down Robin van Persie in the seventh minute and Emmanuel Adebayor converted the spot kick to send Arsenal into a lead they never relinquished.

Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky completed the rout with second-half strikes and the only cloud over a scintillating display was the 50th minute dismissal of Philippe Senderos. Senderos was shown a straight red card for blocking Kanu and 12 minutes later the former Arsenal striker pulled one back for Portsmouth with a lucky backheel.

Van Persie earned the seventh-minute penalty when he pounced on an error from John Utaka - forced by pressure from Gael Clichy - and beating James in a foot race to the ball. Van Persie's advance was halted when James sent him tumbling for a clear penalty and Adebayor sent the England keeper the wrong way by tapping the spot kick into the right corner.

Adebayor almost made it two shortly after when Alexander Hleb had whipped in a dangerous cross but he just failed to connect as James came out in the nick of time.

But Arsenal could not be denied in the 36th minute when a corner by Rosicky caused havoc in the opposition defence. Gilberto got the initial touch and the ball fell between Fabregas and Davis with the Spaniard reacting first, turning and shooting to leave James no chance from such close range.

Arsenal began the second half as they had finished the first, pouring forward and placing Pompey goal under pressure. Van Persie just failed to meet a cross from Adebayor and then Senderos' acrobatic header was denied by a smart save from James.

The Swiss defender was left to rue James' reactions as a heartbeat later he was given his marching orders for obstructing Kanu as the former Gunner raced in on goal. Halsey brandished the red card in the belief Senderos was the last defender but replays showed Kolo Toure was covering across and could have stopped Kanu.

Just as Harry Redknapp's side appeared capable of pulling a goal back, Arsenal struck for a third time. Fabregas took a quick free-kick to Rosicky and the Czech winger blasted his shot between James and Johnson from an acute angle.

Pompey finally made the breakthrough in the 62nd minute, although it was a little fortuitous as Kanu's backheel from a Utaka cross ricocheted off his own legs past Manuel Almunia.