0-2 v Portsmouth FC - 26 December 2003 - Away

Tottenham Hotspur Badge

Spurs 0

Portsmouth FC

Portsmouth FC

2

  • Berger
    52'
    68'
Details
Match Number

6435

Opposition
Portsmouth

Portsmouth FC

Competition
Premier League

Premier League

Season

2003/04

Date

26th December 2003

Kick Off

15:00

Venue

Fratton Park

Attendance

20,078

Referee

Steve Dunn

League Position

17th

Opposition League Position

15th

Opposition Form

LLLLDD

Weather at Kick Off

10.5° - Drizzle

Facts & Milestones
  • 6402nd overall match (3032 wins, 1401 draws, 1956 losses)

  • 4914th competitive match (2183 wins, 1151 draws, 1580 losses)

  • team

    92nd match vs Portsmouth FC (36 wins, 27 draws, 29 losses)

  • competition

    448th Premier League match (155 wins, 119 draws, 174 losses)

  • 5899th match in England (2744 wins, 1326 draws, 1816 losses)

  • 51st match at Fratton Park (19 wins, 10 draws, 22 losses)

  • Johnnie Jackson: Debut
Report

Portsmouth won for the first time since early November after two Patrik Berger free-kicks ensured Harry Redknapp's side climbed out of the bottom three. Berger first hit a long-range free-kick into the net soon after the restart.

The Czech Republic international then repeated the trick on 68 minutes to increase the pressure on Spurs, who are slipping towards the relegation zone.

Portsmouth's Nigerian international Ayegbeni Yakubu should also have scored but he blazed over.

Spurs retaliated through Johnnie Jackson, who tested Harald Wapenaar with a long-range shot but the Dutch keeper was equal to the task.

Tottenham's Stephane Dalmat also proved a real menace down the right, while on 42 minutes Robbie Keane forced a fine save from Wapenaar.

Gradually, Portsmouth began to come back into the game and Alexei Smertin fired a well-positioned free-kick wide of the right post in the 24th minute.

Sherwood then nearly found Teddy Sheringham, but the former England striker was too slow to meet his team-mate's ball.

Arjan de Zeeuw also saw his header cleared off the line by Carr, while Sheringham's follow-up was kept out by Kasey Keller.

Portsmouth were further denied when another Smertin long-range effort was palmed away by Keller before Sherwood went close moments later.

Just before he scored Berger served notice of set-piece ability when his 20-yard free-kick sailed inches wide of the right post.

The Czech Republic international then lined up a free-kick some 35 yards out and smashed it home into the bottom left corner, beyond the reach of Keller.

Berger's second goal arrived in the 68th minute when he stepped up for yet another free-kick, this time crashing a blistering drive from just outside the area into the top middle of the goal.

Timeline
Location
League Table
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
17 13 1 3 34 11 23 40
2
Chelsea
17 12 3 2 31 12 19 39
3
Arsenal
17 11 6 0 31 12 19 39
4
Southampton
17 7 5 5 18 12 6 26
5
Fulham
17 7 4 6 28 23 5 25
6
Newcastle united
17 6 7 4 25 20 5 25
7
Charlton athletic
17 6 6 5 22 20 2 24
8
Birmingham city
16 6 5 5 14 18 -4 23
9
Liverpool
16 6 4 6 23 18 5 22
10
Bolton wanderers
17 5 7 5 17 23 -6 22
11
Manchester city
17 5 5 7 24 23 1 20
12
Everton
17 5 5 7 20 22 -2 20
13
Middlesbrough
16 5 5 6 12 15 -3 20
14
Aston villa
17 5 5 7 16 23 -7 20
15
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
17 5 3 9 19 26 -7 18
16
Blackburn rovers
17 5 2 10 23 27 -4 17
17
Leicester city
17 4 4 9 25 28 -3 16
18
Portsmouth
17 4 4 9 18 25 -7 16
19
Leeds united
17 4 4 9 17 37 -20 16
20
Wolverhampton wanderers
16 2 5 9 13 35 -22 11
# Team PL W D L GF GA GD PTS
1
Manchester united
18 14 1 3 37 13 24 43
2
Arsenal
18 12 6 0 34 12 22 42
3
Chelsea
18 12 3 3 33 16 17 39
4
Fulham
18 8 4 6 30 23 7 28
5
Charlton athletic
18 7 6 5 26 22 4 27
6
Newcastle united
18 6 8 4 26 21 5 26
7
Southampton
18 7 5 6 18 14 4 26
8
Birmingham city
17 7 5 5 16 19 -3 26
9
Liverpool
17 7 4 6 26 19 7 25
10
Bolton wanderers
18 5 7 6 18 26 -8 22
11
Middlesbrough
17 5 6 6 14 17 -3 21
12
Aston villa
18 5 6 7 16 23 -7 21
13
Manchester city
18 5 5 8 25 25 0 20
14
Everton
18 5 5 8 22 25 -3 20
15
Portsmouth
18 5 4 9 20 25 -5 19
16
Blackburn rovers
18 5 3 10 25 29 -4 18
17
Tottenham Hotspur Badge Tottenham Hotspur
18 5 3 10 19 28 -9 18
18
Leicester city
18 4 5 9 26 29 -3 17
19
Leeds united
18 4 5 9 17 37 -20 17
20
Wolverhampton wanderers
17 2 5 10 13 38 -25 11
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