Arsenal's expectations grate. European success has been thrown into bleak relief by yet another failure to secure three points away from home at a critical stage of the season.
Thierry Henry's first-half goal had put them on course to challenge Tottenham for the Champions League qualification but weak finishing and a moment of delicate devastation from Lomana Lualua prevented the Gunners from taking the much-needed points.
Arsene Wenger was in a touchline rage as his team allowed the game to slip away, but a point was no less than a resurgent Portsmouth side deserved. If there was one man who felt the pain more than any other it was Sol Campbell, who left the scene of his first match in 10 weeks with a broken nose.
In the first quarter, Andres D'Alessandro floated in a free-kick from which Benjani Mwaruwari escaped the burly Campbell but the Zimbabwe international's header flew wide. Moments later Mwaruwari escaped the England defender again to open a passage to goal, but LuaLua's selfish dallying with the ball allowed Kolo Toure to clear.
It was the Ivorian who rescued Arsenal when, minutes later, they were exposed. LuaLua chased a long ball into the box that had Jens Lehmann sprinting back to his goal line but Toure's pace saw him make a critical cover tackle.
And it would not be long before Arsenal were a goal to the good. Thierry Henry won the ball off Sean Davis and played a wall-pass with Adebayor, sprinting into the space between split centre-halves. His open-bodied finish curled exquisitely round Dean Kiely's outstretched arm.
Arsenal should have doubled their lead but their efforts were undermined by Adebayor's laughably poor touch. Jose Antonio Reyes spread a delightful ball wide for Henry who sped behind Portsmouth's defence, the Frenchman returned it across the six-yard box and Adebayor had only to walk the ball into an unguarded net. He failed.
Before the first period was out D'Alessandro struck an angled drive from 17 yards that Mwaruwari met with a hooked near-post effort. Lehmann was scrambling to tip the ball to safety but was more comfortable when Pedro Mendes's dipping drive fell to his chest.
Mwaruwari's clumsiness may have brought him a second yellow card or worse. Almost inevitably, it was Campbell who found himself in the wars. The centre-half rose for a headed clearance far higher than the former Auxerre forward managed, but it did not stop Mwaruwari connecting on Campbell's eyebrow with the point of his elbow. Campbell required lengthy treatment to a bad cut to his brow but returned and proved a daunting barrier for Portsmouth's strikers, but Adebayor had no such opposition.
It had seemed impossible that the forward could have outdone his previous squander but, having hit his effort wide when offered a free header six yards out, there was an argument to suggest that he achieved this unwanted feat.
The striker clearly needs tuition in heading technique and he could do worse than to observe the devastating glance that LuaLua put on the whipped free-kick delivered by D'Alessandro shortly after the hour. Having eluded his marker Diaby, the Congo international soared high into the Fratton Park air to bring his side level.
Guardian Service
PORTSMOUTH: Kiely, Priske, Primus, Stefanovic, Taylor, O'Neil, Davis (Routledge 57), Pedro Mendes, D'Alessandro, LuaLua (Hughes 69), Mwaruwari (Todorov 66). Subs not used: Ashdown, O'Brien. Booked: Mwaruwari. Goal: LuaLua 66.
ARSENAL: Lehmann, Djourou, Campbell (Eboue 89), Toure, Flamini, Ljungberg, Song Billong, Diaby, Reyes (Hleb 80), Henry, Adebayor (Van Persie 75). Subs not used: Poom, Bergkamp. Booked: Ljungberg. Goal: Henry 36.
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
