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Manchester United's joy at ending Arsenal's 49-match run soon evaporated as they crashed to defeat at Portsmouth for the second time in six months.

A David Unsworth penalty and Aiyegbeni Yakubu's sixth goal of the season undid United in a frantic second half when Pompey matched the expensive quality of their visitors with a battling spirit and a splendid work-ethic which was a credit to their manager Harry Redknapp.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will probably not have much thirst for the red wine Redknapp undoubtedly offered after the final whistle.

The visitors, in truth, threw it away - just as they did at the end of last season when Pompey inflicted their first victory over them for 46 years at Fratton Park.

Pompey were full value again with every player a hero, even though they lost £2.3million striker Diomansy Kamara and Czech schemer Patrik Berger to injuries before half-time.

After looking likely to be overrun in the first 20 minutes and then losing Kamara after little more than half-an-hour, Portsmouth put the block on United's creativity and emerged from the first half at least worth a split-decision.

Ryan Giggs, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes and, especially, Ronaldo had the chances to bury Pompey early on - the Portuguese winger shooting wide with the target clear in his sights from 12 yards after a piece of magic by Wayne Rooney.

Against all that Pompey had only a Lomana LuaLua solo attempt to show for their efforts - his shot was charged down after he sent two defenders running the wrong way with a delightful twinkle of toes.

Scholes got away with a clumsy lunge which caught Kamara and although the Senegalese record signing battled on for a while he eventually had to go off - although at least he had the consolation of avoiding a third consecutive booking for removing his shirt.

But Pompey's revival was under way before his exit and substitute Fuller helped carry it on.

They fought for every ball with Nigel Quashie and Amdy Faye tigerish in midfield.

Yakubu was past Rio Ferdinand in pursuit of a throughball from Quashie after turning the England centre-half - only to be harshly pulled back for a foul.

Yakubu and the home crowd were furious but they almost profited from a lucky break in the 37th minute when Ricardo Fuller pulled the ball back for LuaLua, whose low shot was cleared off the line by Gary Neville.

United were a little rattled and Rooney was booked for going in late on Quashie, even though his team-mates surrounded referee Neale Barry in protest.

Just before the break, Faye let fly from the edge of the area after United could not clear a needlessly-conceded corner and Roy Carroll went full stretch to tip the shot over as Pompey ended the half on top.

Pompey's creative influence Berger failed to emerge for the second half - with on-loan Cameroonian Valery Mezague replacing him.

Scholes should have equalised right after the break but he thumped his shot straight at Shaka Hislop and United buzzed around the goal for a spell until suddenly, in the 52nd minute, Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze lost his head and pulled down Fuller in the area at the other end.

Ferdinand snapped and kicked the ball out of the ground when Barry awarded the penalty and was booked for his petulance, while Unsworth stayed ice-cool to ram home the spot-kick.

From then on the match was almost a carbon copy of the siege when United were trailing 1-0 in the second half at the same venue last season.

The visitors did everything but score - Ronaldo's header hit the bar, Smith nudged a shot wide, Hislop caught a collection of shots and Dejan Stefanovic and Arjan de Zeeuw headed a plethora of crosses.

There was action at the other end though and with just over 20 minutes to go Hislop's long kick brought a slip from Mikael Silvestre, enabling Yakubu to measure up his shot before steering it home.

United continued pressing but the barrier was immense and they rarely looked like breaching it.

Ferguson's side have now drawn five times and lost twice in the Premiership - not the form of champions.

Teams
Portsmouth Hislop, Primus, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Unsworth, Quashie, Faye, Berger (Mezague 45), LuaLua, Kamara (Fuller 32), Yakubu.

Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Griffin, Cisse.

Goals: Unsworth 53 pen, Yakubu 72.

Man Utd Carroll, Gary Neville (Brown 80), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Ronaldo, Phil Neville (Keane 65), Scholes, Giggs, Rooney, Smith (Saha 65).

Subs Not Used: Miller, Ricardo.

Booked: Rooney, Ferdinand.

Att: 20,190

Ref: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).