Pires praise for hot-shot Campbell

Robert Pires admitted that Arsenal did not play well in their 1-0 win at Portsmouth but hailed Sol Campbell's winning goal as the "most important" the England defender has ever scored.

Arsenal began the game eight points behind leaders Chelsea, but cut the gap to five with victory. Pires said: "It was so important that we won because we could not afford to fall further behind Chelsea. Even a draw would not have been good enough.

"We didn't play well, or pass well at all. But we managed to hang in there and Sol scored a really important goal. Perhaps it will turn out to be the most important win of the season." The France midfielder was given a hostile reception at Fratton Park and was abused throughout the match. He has not been forgiven for the dubious penalty he earned against Portsmouth in September last year.

But he refused to dwell on the jeers and concentrated on the implications of a hardearned win that was clinched by Sol Campbell's ferocious 25-yard strike 15 minutes from time.

Campbell's goal came after Arsenal had survived several scares as Ricardo Fuller, twice, and Gary O'Neil squandered openings.

"That has to be the most important goal he has scored for the club," said Pires.

There was bad news for Arsenal on Saturday when Jose Antonio Reyes twisted a knee in training. He will be out of ten days, missing the Boxing Day clash with Fulham at Highbury.

But the win achieved with an already depleted squad was satisfying for Arsene Wenger, who afterwards dismissed Jose Mourinho's recent assertions about Chelsea's supremacy.

"That is not the feeling I get," said Wenger. "Everyone can drop points against everyone else. There is a long way to go.

"We showed great desire to win and that was a great goal by Sol."