Those who didn’t watch [Arsenal’s](https://paininthearsenal.com/mikel-arteta-reveals-what-s-holding-back-ethan-nwaneri-s-arsenal-chances-01kes1f1g10r) victory at Portsmouth in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round this weekend may have been forgiven for looking at the score and seeing a routine [come-from-behind](https://paininthearsenal.com/3-standout-players-from-arsenals-comeback-win-at-portsmouth) victory.
However, it was certainly not just a Sunday stroll in the (Fratton) Park, as Pompey unsurprisingly put up a strong fight in what was a ‘proper’ cup tie.
And, after what has happened already this weekend with Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace being eliminated at Wrexham and Macclesfield respectively, many Arsenal fans may have been fearing the worst when Colby Bishop put the hosts ahead inside the first couple of minutes.
But, Arsenal coming from behind to make the final 15 minutes almost a non-event deserves big credit.
Pompey win may not have happened in previous eras
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If you cast your mind back to the latter stages of the Arsene Wenger era, and throughout the entirety of the Unai Emery era, there was one particular stick to beat Arsenal with - that they have a soft underbelly.
Now, that has been something that Mikel Arteta has really changed - and that is most definitely exhibited by how strong Arsenal now are on set-pieces.
And, he’s also created a culture within the club that makes you confident that Arsenal will come back no matter the situation.
And Sunday was a great example of this, as falling behind to Portsmouth in front of a raucous crowd at Fratton Park in windy and rainy conditions was the ideal cocktail in previous years for an Arsenal implosion.
It helped significantly that the equaliser was got only a couple of minutes after the Pompey opener, and that certainly gave the Gunners that bit more composure to grab control of the game.
Not that it was serene afterwards, as the press from John Mousinho’s side still caused many problems for Kepa certainly, who looked relatively shaky.
This win is perfect ahead of other tricky away trips
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January is certainly anything but a calm month for Arsenal, and this week is certainly a big example of that.
A huge Carabao Cup semi-final first leg awaits at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night - before a big league game at Nottingham Forest - with a trip to Leeds United and a home match with Manchester United adding to UEFA Champions League games with Inter and Kairat Almaty.
All in all, it’s been a relatively decent start to the month so far for Arsenal, and they very much still remain in the hunt for four trophies.