Just a quick match report because basically I don’t envisage many people reading it! I’ve had a bit of a hectic day today and I’ve just arrived in Bournemouth for a party tonight and this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down at my mac. By now most of you will be heading off to New Years Eve parties, or too drunk to understand what these random order of words mean, or tomorrow you will be far too hungover to deal with the bright light of a computer screen. Also I’ve just started drinking too and the longer this is the drunker I’ll get.

So anyways it was a great result down at Fratton Park but it never looked in doubt. No offense but we were a class apart from Portsmouth and even though we weren’t at the top of our game it was easy for us.

The home side started well and made it hard for us to play our football but once the first goal came in the 27th minute it was all Arsenal. The opener came thanks to a massive slice of luck – Eduardo stepped up to take a free kick on the edge of the box in a good position. He struck it but it took a massive deflection and snuck inside the opposite post. Incredibly lucky when they had a man on the post too.

The next came about ten minutes later and Eduardo was involved again. He took the ball into the box and his marker just held off him. Eddy took his time and showed great composure in the box to pass it sideways to Ramsey who in turn passed it right again to Nasri. The Frenchman took a touch and then smashed a shot across goal. A good finish, 2-0 Arsenal.

At half time we were cruising at 2-0. Never a winning lead but I felt pretty comfortable at the break. Portsmouth showed the potential to go forward but nowhere near to the extent we were. They had a few chances and Almunia was forced into a couple of saves but he did well.

The third came in the 68th minute, a fine solo goal from Ramsey. He nicked the ball in Pompey’s half, side-stepped of a couple of defenders before blasting it inside the near post from outside the box. Great awareness to nick the ball, great skill to get in a shooting position and a great striker to make it 3-0. A pretty ‘great’ goal in all respects.

Shortly afterwards Eduardo was replaced by Rosicky. The Croatian (or Brazilian or whatever) had a part in the first two goals but otherwise he had another quiet-ish game. He still looks like he’s lacking a bit of confidence but he’s getting involved in the goals now which is good.

In the 73rd minute the home side got one back. No doubt a consolation goal but we shouldn’t have let it in. Belhadj was in the box and played the ball out to the right expecting a low cross. The whole line of the Arsenal defence pushed forwards expecting a driven ball across the face of the goal but no one picked up Belhadj who dropped back and had an easy shot at goal. It’s easy to see where we went wrong on the replay so hopefully we’ll know for next time.

We restored the three-goal lead nine minutes from the end and Alex Song got a well-deserved goal. He tried to work his way through the defence on his own but got lucky when we kept possession. Song was in a good position at the back post when a cross came over from the right and headed it in the top corner to make it 4-1. Was a good header and glad to see Song on the score sheet.

Could’ve maybe been more but 4-1 is a good result and we keep up the pace at the top. Next up is the FA Cup on Sunday, build up to that one to come.

That’s it then for 2009. Thanks for everyone that’s read the blog over the last 12 months, really do appreciate it. Hope you all have a good one tonight and I’ll speak to you in the new year!

Here’s to a trophy-winning 2010 for the Arsenal. Thanks for reading.