by Neil Weld at Fratton Park.
Pompey ended 2009 with a defeat as Arsenal cruised to a comfortable victory on the south coast.
Goals from Eduardo, Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey gave the Gunners a comfortable lead, before Nadir Belhadj pulled one back for the Blues.
But any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Alex Song netted a fourth for the visitors, leaving Pompey four points adrift at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Avram Grant made four changes from the side that lost at West Ham on Boxing Day.
Kevin-Prince Boateng, Aaron Mokena, Richard Hughes and Hassan Yebda all returned to the side with Aruna Dindane, Hayden Mullins, Michael Brown and the suspended Jamie O’Hara making way.
Dindane had already linked up with the Ivory Coast squad for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations but Yebda, Belhadj and Kanu were given permission to stay in England a little bit longer.
There was a familiar face in the Arsenal line-up with former Blues loanee Armand Traore starting at left-back.
Pompey started brightly, looking threatening going forward without really troubling Manuel Almunia in the Gunners goal.
The Spanish stopper did have to make a save on 10 minutes, however, to keep out a fierce Boateng shot that looked like creeping in at the near post.
But the visitors were looking dangerous as well and Andrey Arshavin fired over, before Eduardo just failed to divert Nasri’s cross on target.
Asmir Begovic then made a fine stop to prevent Abou Diaby from converting Eduardo’s low cross on 19 minutes.
Pompey had an excellent chance to break the deadlock five minutes later when Boateng stayed onside to collect Hermann Hreidarsson’s long pass forward.
But the midfielder – playing just behind lone striker Frederic Piquionne – took a bad first touch and an even worse second to let Arsenal off the hook.
And the visitors made Pompey pay for their profligacy when they took the lead on 28 minutes after Mokoena had fouled Aaron Ramsey 25 yards from goal.
Eduardo stepped up to take the free-kick and his shot took a wicked deflection off Younes Kaboul as it crept into the bottom corner.
Pompey tried to find an instant equaliser with Belhadj firing in a powerful shot that bent away from goal as it neared its target.
But Arsenal went into the break with a two-goal lead when Nasri was allowed time to collect Ramsey’s pass and steer the ball home from the edge of the area.
Half Time: Pompey 0 Arsenal 2
Belhadj flashed a shot wide early in the second half but Arsenal were soon on the attack and causing plenty of problems for the Blues back-line.
Begovic got away with a spilling a cross, before Song chipped the ball just wide as the Gunners looked to add to their lead.
Grant made his first substitution on 58 minutes with Anthony Vanden Borre replacing Mokoena to offer Pompey more width on the right.
But when the Belgian lost possession it led to Arsenal’s third goal. Ramsey robbed the ball from him and was then given a clear path to run towards goal and bend a shot past Begovic.
Vanden Borre made amends on 74 minutes, though, when he played a one-two with BELHADJ and the Algerian smashed a smart strike into the net.
But Arsenal’s three-goal advantage was restored just seven minutes later as Song was left completely unmarked to head home Nasri’s cross.
Piquionne should have pulled a goal back at the death but summed up Pompey’s night when he miskicked the ball from just three yards out.
Pompey: Begovic; Finnan, Kaboul, Ben Haim, Hreidarsson; Yebda, Mokoena (c) (Vanden Borre 58), Hughes (Brown 90), Belhadj; Boateng (Kanu 71); Piquionne
Goals: Belhadj 74
Booked: Mokoena, Hughes
Subs not used: Ashdown, Wilson, Diop, Utaka
Arsenal: Almunia (c); Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore; Ramsey, Song, Diaby; Nasri (Eastmond 85), Eduardo (Rosicky 71); Arshavin (Vela 82)
Goals: Eduardo 28, Nasri 42, Ramsey 69, Song 81
Subs not used: Fabianski, Silvestre, Wilshere, Merida
Referee: Alan Wiley
Attendance: 20,404