Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder is backing summer signing Damien Duff to prove his quality once again after a recent return to form.
The 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international very nearly put Arsenal to the sword as the Gunners left St James' Park with their Champions League aspirations only just intact.
Duff went close to the opening goal on three occasions before the break as he continued his rehabilitation from an injury-hit start to the campaign and looked to reward Roeder for his £5million investment.
The Magpies manager said afterwards: 'Damien Duff looks a different player in the last three or four games.
'He looks like the Damien Duff we brought here at the start of the season, and I am really, really pleased for him because he is a great guy to work with.
'I hope he finishes the season like he has played these last two, three, four games, if you include his two international performances.
'We can look forward to the Damien Duff everyone knows for the next four years when we start pre-season in July.'
Despite Duff's influence, it was winger James Milner who came closest to winning the game for the home side with a 46th-minute shot which came back off Jens Lehmann's crossbar.
Newcastle were hugely aggrieved not to be awarded an injury-time penalty for Abou Diaby's challenge on defender Oguchi Onyewu, although Nolberto Solano had earlier made a double goal-line clearance to deny first Gilberto and then substitute Jeremie Aliadiere.
Roeder's disappointment was heightened by injuries to keeper Shay Given and midfielder Kieron Dyer, although the latter was withdrawn as a precaution.
Roeder said: 'Kieron has got a slight tightness in his hamstring, but it is not the hamstring which caused him problems for 18 months.
'Kieron is confident he will be fit for Saturday. I am a very patient person and as much as I would have liked to have kept him on, it was my decision to take him off to protect him so he is fit for the rest of the season, not just Portsmouth.'
