Dejan Stefanovic: Robert Pires apologised after the dive against Portsmouth which helped Arsenal finish as Invincibles

Pompey were leading 1-0 at Highbury through a Teddy Sheringham goal in September 2003 in their first Premier League season.

However, much to their disgust, French international Pires earned a 40th-minute penalty after going down under a challenge from Stefanovic.

Referee Alan Wiley’s decision still rankles with the Fratton faithful, particularly as Arsenal finished as Premier League champions – and undefeated.

And, in a 2017 interview for Played Up Pompey Too, Stefanovic admitted he spoke to Pires over the controversial incident after the game.

‘We beat Aston Villa 2-1 in our opening Premier League match on August 2003 and were on fire for our opening five games, remaining undefeated,’ he told Played Up Pompey Too.

‘We were a team new to the top flight, but Harry had recruited good players to survive, we possessed team spirit and there was a great dressing room atmosphere. Everyone mixed well as we finished 13th, 12 points above the relegation zone.

‘There were plenty of good results in the process and, in September 2003, we drew 1-1 at Arsenal in a match many Pompey fans remember for Robert Pires’ dive.

‘Teddy Sheringham had given us the lead at Highbury then, with half-time approaching, Pires attacked down the left and went down under my challenge inside the box. The referee, Alan Wiley, awarded a penalty, which Thierry Henry converted.

‘It wasn’t a foul, I didn’t even touch him, he dived over my leg, it’s as simple as that. Arsenal were unbeaten through that 2003-04 season as they took the Premier League title, The Invincibles they were christened, but a dive stopped us beating them.

‘After the game, Pires apologised to me: “That wasn’t my decision, it was the referee’s, what can I do?”. I accepted that.

‘He’s a good guy and what happened, happened. You have to look forward to the next game and move on rather than keep analysing that match. That’s football.

‘On the pitch, you play with emotion and, following the game, players recognise things which occurred, such as a mistake or bad tackle.

‘Most players apologise afterwards - and that’s what Pires did.

‘I soon discovered that top Premier League teams found it difficult at Fratton Park. The atmosphere was intimidating, the stadium not so big and it was a tough place to come and perform. Definitely no easy points.

‘My favourite Pompey games were the two in which we defeated Manchester United at Fratton Park, in particular during my first season when Steve Stone earned us a 1-0 win in April 2004.

‘At the time, the Red Devils were reigning champions, the biggest club in the Premier League and the strongest - yet we beat them twice on the south coast during my four seasons.

‘We also defeated Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, while Arsenal won only once in the league at Fratton Park. We never beat Chelsea, though, they were tough for us.

There was a belief and confidence that at home we could overcome absolutely anyone in the Premier League, it’s as simple as that.‘For me, it was such a shame Pompey didn't manage to play in a bigger stadium. With a bigger and better ground you can attract more talented players and that was an opportunity missed, unfortunately. But Fratton Park was always a difficult place for opponents to perform.

‘My maiden Blues campaign also saw me strike up an instant relationship with Arjan De Zeeuw – creating one of the best central-defensive partnerships of my career.

From the first day we met I liked him, he’s a good guy, and we found a connection very, very quickly. We understood each other on and off the pitch and worked really well together.

‘For me, the partnership between central defenders is most important in the team. You need not only good players but good friendships, that is the key. Myself and Arjan definitely had that.

‘We worked very well together and possessed good communication, until that was ended by Perrin when he sold Arjan to Wigan Athletic.’

Dejan Stefanovic made 125 Pompey appearances and scored three goals from June 2003 until August 2007.

Played Up Pompey Too, released in 2017, is still available from Amazon. While Played Up Pompey Three, which contains more of your favourite Blues players, is out in September.

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