ARSENE Wenger breathed a huge sigh of relief after Sol Campbell's first goal in 16 months kept Arsenal firmly in the title race.

Defender Cambell's first goal since the beginning of last season, a thumping 30-yard drive timed at 76mph, restored Arsenal to second place, still five points behind Chelsea.

And Wenger was delighted after failing to beat Pompey in two attempts in the Premiership last season.

He said: "It was a great strike by Sol. He doesn't often come up with a goal and when a defender has a strike from there it either goes in the net or the stand.

"If we hadn't scored the goal when we did we would have taken more risks in the last 20 minutes but the goal came at just the right moment."

"Fatigue started to set in and we controlled the game after that - but Yakubu gave us big problems when he came on. He's a handful, a colossus when he's on the ball and when he's fit he will be a big threat."

Arsenal were without the injured Jose Reyes, so Robin Van Persie was handed his first Premiership start, and Patrick Vieira was recalled following his suspension.

Wenger added: "It was a great team performance with a lot of spirit and commitment against a very good Portsmouth side that gave absolutely everything on a very heavy pitch.

Pompey suffered their first defeat in five Premiership games - but Velimir and Joe now look Harry and Jim's most obvious successors.

Premiership champions Arsenal left Fratton Park with three fortuitous points after a sparkling Pompey performance from the side that Harry built. The players that Redknapp recruited are continuing to thrive under the leadership of executive director Velimir Zajec and first team coach Joe Jordan.

And with Gordon Strachan now ruling himself out of the running to work under Zajec, Pompey chairman Milan Mandaric looks set to maintain the status quo - especially as the transfer window is open in less than two weeks' time.

It will not have escaped Mandaric's attention that just six weeks after masterminding the second of Panathinaikos's impressive Champions League performances against Arsenal, Zajec showed more of his tactical nous in his battle of wits with Wenger.

This time he tasted defeat but Pompey could so easily have extended their unbeaten run since Redknapp's departure to five games - or even won.

It needed a rare goal from Sol Campbell to settle the outcome. Yakubu whose task would have been to track the England defender - was lying injured in the Arsenal penalty box when Campbell crashed home his first goal of the season.

"We were effectively down to ten men at the time," said Jordan, who saw Pompey go agonisingly close to taking a first half lead.

Since netting the only goal in Redknapp's last game in charge of Pompey - against Manchester City exactly a month ago - midfielder Gary O'Neil has flourished, but he shot wide after getting the better of Kolo Toure following Lomana Lua Lua's through ball.

Just before the break it needed Toure to deflect a Ricardo Fuller strike behind after another eye-of-a-needle pass from the brilliant Lua Lua.

Jamie Ashdown had twice denied Thierry Henry but Pompey contnued to make the better of the chances after the break.

Within two minutes of the restart Patrik Berger threaded the ball to Fuller, who appeared to be brought down by Patrick Vieria in the penalty area.

He was soon replaced by Yakubu and the Pompey substitute excelled in his first appearance since suffering a knee injury in the defeat at St Mary's last month.

A powerful Berger strike was beaten away at the near post by Manuel Almunia, shortly after the Arsenal goalkeeper had recovered from a collison with Yakubu.

Steve Stone then volleyed wide but after being denied by Almunia for a second time, Yakubu lay injured in Arsenal's goalmouth - and Campbell capitalised on a rare sight of goal.

Lua Lua continued to terrorise Arsenal's defence with his quick feet and he and Stone were denied by a double save from Almunia, who kept out another Berger strike late on.

"We certainly deserved a point but the hard reality is that we haven't got any because we didn't take our chances," said ex-Saints striker Jordan, who admitted that he will stay at Fratton Park - if he is wanted.

"I'm not applying for the job. I came here under Harry to help with the first team squad and coach them and I would like to maintain that position.

"When you play Arsenal you are more wary about the opposition than anything else and the players can take a lot of pride from the performance."

Zajec and Jordan are expected to welcome Diomansy Kamara back into the squad for the post-Christmas programme. The striker is close to a full recovery from medial ligament damage.

PORTSMOUTH: Jamie Ashdown, Andy Griffin, Linvoy Primus, Arjan De Zeeuw, Matthew Taylor, Steve Stone, Steve Stone, Amdy Faye (eyal Berkovic), Patrik Berger, Lomana Lua Lua,Ricardo Fuller (Yakubu).

Subs not used: Hislop, Quashie, Cisse.