.Arsenal Transfered In: Thomas Vermaelen (Ajax, £11m), Damian Martinez (Club Athletico Independiente, £1.3m), Jamie Edge (Cheltenham, undisc) Transfered Out: Abu Ogogo (Dag & Red, free), Amaury Bischoff (Academica de Coimbra, free), Emmanuel Adebayor (Man C, £25m), Kolo Toure (Man C, £14m), Jay Simpson (QPR, loan), James Dunne (Exeter, free), Rui Fonte (Lisbon, free), Rene Steer (Oldham, free), [.

Portsmouth fans have had very little to cheer about this season. A record-breaking losing streak to kick-off their campaign coupled with persistent ownership rumours has seen Pompey become every punter's bet for the drop. Goals have ultimately been the problem on the South Coast, with the club netting only 5 in 10 matches prior to Saturday's Wigan encounter.

Is there hope for Pompey? Maybe if you're an eternal optimist. I just like to think of it as something that Portsmouth fans can reminisce about next season when they are taking the Coca Cola Championship by storm. That is just where the state of Pompey football is at the moment. One 4-0 victory is not going to suddenly turn things around for the better, but for that to happen, Piquionne and Dindane are going to have to put in these types of performances week in and week out.

Image via Wikipedia Liverpool once again without Fernando Torres kept Kuyt up in front as a lone man with support from N'gog but the later missed the closest an the best chance of the match. The cold and dull afternoon on Saturday at the Ewood Park did match the quality of the game as both [...]

To be a Portsmouth fan. Doesn't look terribly fun at the moment, does it? Despite Aruna Dindane's best attempts to shoo them away with his skyward finishing, the dark clouds are most certainly roaming down at Fratton Park; the whiff of saline sea air has been replaced by one of fear and loathing.

Pompey striker Aruna Dindane's hat-trick helped bottom club Portsmouth beat Wigan Athletic 4-0 at Fratton Park.Dindane's strike partner Frederic Piquionne was also on the score sheet for Portsmouth.

Under serious pressure

1 Another false dawn for Liverpool after a shambolic defeat at Craven Cottage. Two red cards, 3 goals conceded, Torres a major doubt for Wednesday's crunch game at Lyon and Gerrard definitely out. How much worse can things get for Rafa Benitez? His power base within the club is secure after he saw off Rick Parry and negotiated a huge contract with the American owners last season.

After a miserable midweek Champions League match against Besiktas, the Premier League is here to save the day as bottom club Portsmouth host the Champions at Fratton Park. However, Sir Alex begins his two-match ban, so Mike Phelan will be handing out the touchline instructions.

It is Avram Grant's first game in charge of Pompey after the departure of Paul Hart on Tuesday, and he seems up for the challenge,

"The spirit of the team and atmosphere are good.

Signing African players has always represented something of a gamble for Premier League bosses.

As well as the player's pedigree and their ability to adapt to new surroundings, the manager must also consider whether losing them to the African Cup of Nations for up to six weeks will unbalance his team's equilibrium.

Vahid Halilhodzic soltou a lista do jogadores convocados para a Copa Africana das Nações em Angola (10-31 janeiro 2010). O grupo conta com uma raridade entres as grandes nações futebolísticas africanas: um jogador da liga do doméstica, Vincent Angban, goleiro do Mimosas, é o felizardo. Brasil e Portugal vão observar com bastante atenção o seu adversário na Copa do Mundo neste evento disputado em um país de língua portuguesa.

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager - Unhappy about CAF in January

The African Nations Cup happens every second year in January and every time the English Premier League Managers pretend that they never saw it coming and start complaining about losing their best players.

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal Manager

Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager will see midfield duo Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue depart for Angola in January for duty with Cameroon and Ivory Coast, respectively.