Portsmouth defender Conor Shaughnessy insists his side can take pride from their Emirates FA Cup performance against Arsenal, despite suffering a 4-1 defeat at Fratton Park in Saturday’s third-round clash.
The Championship side briefly threatened an upset when striker Colby Bishop netted an early opener against the Premier League table-toppers. However, the Gunners responded through an own goal before Gabriel Martinelli’s hat-trick secured their progression to round four.
Shaughnessy argued the final scoreline failed to reflect Portsmouth’s display during the Pompey V Arsenal encounter on the rain-soaked south coast.
“The result doesn’t truly represent our performance because we showed real positivity throughout,” the centre-back stated. “Whilst we’re always disappointed not to secure victory, Arsenal are clearly an exceptional team—there’s a reason they lead the Premier League.
“For most of the match, we conducted ourselves admirably and can feel satisfied with our approach. The Fratton faithful created an incredible atmosphere, backing us from start to finish.
“That support helped us begin energetically and aggressively. We played with confidence and grabbed that early goal. Conceding from set-pieces is disappointing—it’s their strength, and we must improve there.
“Nevertheless, I relished testing myself against elite opposition and believe we represented ourselves well.”
The defender completed just over 60 minutes in his third appearance since recovering from a hamstring problem.
“I’m feeling strong and could have continued longer, which is personally encouraging,” Shaughnessy added.
Manager Praises Display
Boss John Mousinho echoed his player’s sentiments, rating Portsmouth’s showing highly despite the challenging opposition sitting atop both domestic and European competitions.
“I’d assess the performance very positively—we were outstanding for significant periods,” Mousinho explained. “Fatigue set in after being reduced to 10 men, but otherwise we competed strongly and occasionally looked the superior side.
“The crucial difference came from set-pieces. Their delivery quality and aggressive ball-attacking was excellent, but we needed to match that intensity. We anticipated their approach but were slightly passive in those situations—that’s frustrating and requires improvement.
“Beyond that, we’re pleased with our energy and how we pressed Arsenal. You’ll inevitably concede opportunities against such quality, but our strategy largely succeeded.
“Colby needed that confidence boost, and hopefully he’ll carry this form into league fixtures. Now we must refocus and prepare for Sheffield Wednesday in what becomes a crucial week.”
Injury Concerns
The afternoon’s major setback involved injuries to Harvey Blair and substitute Franco Umeh, both withdrawn during the Pompey V Arsenal tie.
“We’re already stretched squad-wise, which dampened an otherwise encouraging afternoon,” Mousinho confirmed. “Harvey’s suffered a hip flexor issue that shouldn’t be too serious, but Franco appears to have a hamstring injury.”
