Arsenal thrash Portsmouth 4-1

Aug 22, 2009 - 5:41 PM By ALEX CROOK STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Arsenal continued their scintillating start to the Premier League season by brushing aside struggling Portsmouth 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, thanks to a quick-fire double from Abou Diaby on his 100th appearance for the club.

Defender Williams Gallas bagged his third goal in as many games and substitute Aaron Ramsey were also on target as the Gunners stormed to the top of the table.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised the attacking display of his side.

Wenger said: "I thought it was a very good performance.

"We had plenty of chances especially in the first half - our level dropped in the second, but overall in our first two games we have scored ten, so I can't ask for more, it is a brilliant start.

"I believe there is a lot of potential here and more to come. We have scored 12 goals so far this season in all our games and only one has been by a striker which shows that everyone attacks here."

The Gunners made four changes from the side which thumped Everton 6-1 on the opening day, with Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Nicklas Bendtner and Alex Song making way for Emmanuel Eboue, Kieran Gibbs, Eduardo and Diaby.

Despite shuffling his pack, Wenger's youthful side picked up where they left off against Everton, spraying the ball around with ease in the opening minutes.

Diaby opened the scoring in the 18th minute after a smart run and cut-back from Eduardo found him 12 yards from goal, from where he powered the ball home.

Just three minutes later and Diaby and Arsenal had a second, the lively Eboue breaking Pompey's offside trap and squaring for Diaby to roll home from close range.

Arsenal were rampant, with Cesc Fabregas going close to making it three as Pompey's beleaguered midfield were over-run by the Gunners' speed of movement and crisp passing.

But against the run of play the visitors were back in the game before half-time, Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia flapped weakly at a cross and Younes Kaboul leapt to nod home Pompey's first goal of the season.

Pompey felt Gallas should have been dismissed three minutes after the break after the Frenchman clipped John Utaka's heels with the Nigerian hitman clean through but no card was shown to manager Paul Hart's disgust.

Former Arsenal captain Gallas the grabbed the Gunners' third before teenager Ramsey completed the rout on 78 minutes with a neat finish from Robin Van Persie's threaded pass.

The visitors also saw goalkeeper David James limp off with a knee injury as their miserable start to the season continued.

Hart felt luck was against his side and pin-pointed the decision not to dismiss Gallas as the game's turning point.

Hart said: "The decision not to send off Gallas was crucial. We got back into the game and then that decision goes against us.

"It was definitely a foul and then to add insult to injury, Gallas goes and scores their third when he shouldn't have been on the pitch.

"The players kept going even though things had plainly not gone for us during the game and I thought there performance today was excellent. There is plenty for us to be positive about."