Arsenal remained on course for a remarkable unbeaten English premier league season when they drew 1-1 at in-form Portsmouth on Tuesday.

The champions have two games remaining -- away to Fulham and at home to relegated Leicester City -- to achieve the milestone.

It has been achieved only once before, by Preston North End in the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888-89, but that was a campaign of just 22 matches.

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Should Arsenal make it 38 -- they lost one of 38 matches en route to the 1991 title -- their next target will be Nottingham Forest's 42-game unbeaten run over two seasons which began in 1977-78.

The champions did not have things all their own way at Fratton Park, a ground where they gave one of their best performances of the season in a 5-1 FA Cup win in March.

Portsmouth, coming into the match on a high after taking 17 points from the last 21 to charge from the relegation zone to mid-table safety, took the lead after half-an-hour.

DEFT FINISH

A long ball bounced off the back of defender Kolo Toure's head as he turned his back and Yakubu Aiyegbeni produced a deft finish to lift it over the advancing Jens Lehmann.

Arsenal's young Spanish forward Jose Antonio Reyes hit the bar and Portsmouth keeper Shaka Hislop saved well from Thierry Henry as the visitors took charge after the break.

Hislop brilliantly touched another Henry effort on to the bar in the 49th minute but was powerless seconds later as Reyes steered a low volley into the corner for his first league goal since arriving from Sevilla in January.

The Spaniard should have got his second in the 53rd minute but fired over the bar while Yakubu shot tamely at Lehmann when clean through 12 minutes from time.

The draw was a result that suited both sides.

Arsenal remain unbeaten and stretch their lead over Chelsea to nine points while Portsmouth, enjoying a dream finale to their first top-flight season since 1987-88, stay 14th on 42 points.

VERY STRONG

"You could see the character of the team -- they refused in the second half to lose and created chance after chance," Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports TV.

"You can see why Portsmouth haven't lost for a while. Their confidence is high, they defended very well, they are very physically very strong."

Wenger was particularly pleased with the contribution of Reyes, Arsenal's record signing when he joined for a fee that could reach $43 million.

"Reyes has still not adapted to the premier league but in patches he has shown great skill. He is very dangerous, very mobile but he is only 20... he is learning very quickly and is very promising," said Wenger.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said it had been another great night on the south coast after relegation had looked likely only a few weeks ago.

"To have such a good game, no real pressure, to play the champions and play as we did was terrific, he said.

"At halftime I thought we could win the game but they came out as you would expect champions to do. It was a good performance and a good result."

The former West Ham boss, who brought Portsmouth up as first division champions last season, said he could hardly believe the progress of the club.

"It's been incredible, it's been one of the most amazing turnarounds in two years," he said.

"Six years in the bottom six in the first division to winning the championship and playing as we have this year -- it has been fantastic."