'When Rio Ferdinand said, in the wake of Manchester United's controversial defeat of Arsenal eight days ago, that refereeing decisions "tend to even themselves up over a season," he could not have imagined how quickly his words would become reality. Nor, when he added of that win, "this will mean nothing if we don't beat Portsmouth next week", could he have expected that observation would also prove prophetic.
Ferdinand's words came to mind 51 minutes into this match when he angrily belted the ball out of Fratton Park in anger at Neale Barry's decision to award a penalty after Ricardo Fuller had fallen under Ferdinand's challenge. That Portsmouth were the victims of Arsenal's most notorious penalty award, given after Robert Pires dived at Highbury last year, completed a circle without virtue.
At least Portsmouth's penalty, calmly converted by David Unsworth, was less dubious than the others even if it was contentious. Like Arsenal at Old Trafford, United had to push forward and were caught, Ayegbeni Yakubu embarrassing Mikaël Silvestre, Ferdinand and Roy Carroll to add a second goal. Portsmouth thus underlined their growing status as an established Premiership side and effectively detonated United's revived title challenge.
This was Portsmouth's second win over United at Fratton in six months, some achievement given that they had not previously beaten them in 47 years. Yet while it was unexpected it was not as surprising as Southampton's draw at Highbury.
Portsmouth have become a decent side combining commitment with flair and pace. Their ground, however, has not kept pace with the team's development and the South Stand is, by Premiership standards, a slum.
Portsmouth's victory was not just down to Wayne Rooney having to jostle for peg room with Alan Smith, United's own inadequacies played a part. Their finishing was even poorer than their defending. Paul Scholes' three-year international goal-drought attracted much attention, but less noticed is his failure to score for his club in 19 games dating back to April. Scholes admitted, after scoring for England in Euro 2004, that the run had played on his mind and his domestic failings may be doing so, too, because he would once have buried the clear chances he was offered at the beginning of each half. Instead, he shot at Shaka Hislop who was equally grateful to see Smith miss from three yards at 0-1 after Cristiano Ronaldo headed against the post.
Ronaldo and Rooney also wasted opportunities as United dominated the early stages but perhaps the most significant miss was the retaliatory haymaker Nigel Quashie swung at Rooney after 42 minutes. Rooney was cautioned for his tackle, but the industrious Quashie was let off. Barry also allowed Scholes to kick Diomansy Kamara out of the game and Smith to raise a hand to Valery Mezague without punishment. For the second time in a week it seemed that the new laissez-faire refereeing culture has gone too far.
United, having left Roy Keane on the bench, were outfought. Faye, having been in the thick of the midfield battle, had an explanation: "It's not the same for them," he said, "playing against Portsmouth after playing Arsenal. Last week's game was such a very, very big game in England. Then they come here and maybe they don't have the same motivation. Last week they had all the motivation to win. This week we had all the motivation."