The Gunners are the third English top team to enter this weekend's Premiership battle on the back of a midweek European encounter. And they will have to put aside the match with United for the Champions League and concentrate on the domestic race – if Arsenal collect three more points, they will be assured a top four finish and a place in the CL playoffs round for next.
 
Arsenal are fourth with 65 points, six points behind Chelsea in third spot and 10 points above fifth placed Aston Villa.
 
In the final run of the season, both domestically and on the European front, Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas has called on the club's website for his teammates not to lose their concentration and to be more clinical in front of goal for the Champions League Semi-Final second leg at home to Manchester United on Tuesday and their remaining Premiership encounters.
 
"How much stronger are we at home?" he said. "We showed that in the Premier League, by beating them (Manchester United) and scoring two goals.
 
"We have to be more clinical in front of goal – that is for sure. We passed the ball a lot tonight and combined very well, but we were not clinical enough. That is what we have to improve in our remaining games."
 
Meanwhile Portsmouth need six points from the last 12 on offer to be guaranteed Premier League football next season, but going into this game with a seven-point cushion between themselves and the bottom three, Pompey supporters must feel a seventh successive top-flight football is in the bag.
 
If Portsmouth lose to Arsenal, as they already have lost to Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, they would end the season without a single point against any of the so-called 'Big Four'.
 
Pompey are chasing their first league victory over Arsenal in more than 50 years, since the 1-0 victory at Fratton Park on March 29 1958.