Amdy Faye made mincemeat of Patrick Vieira - just 24 hours after flying back from Japan.

Senegal international Faye, dubbed Pompey's answer to Vieira upon signing for £1.5 m from Auxerre in the summer, set the tempo for his new club's most impressive point of the season at Highbury.

Incredibly, he out played fellow Senegalese midfielder Vieira the day after returning from Japan, where he had been on international duty to the understandable chagrin of Harry Redknapp.

Like Vieira, Faye was born in Dakar, Senegal's capital city. They grew up together but Vieira opted to play for France.

Faye, 26, was not in the Senegal team that stunned the football world by beating the French in the opening game of last year's World Cup.

But he made up for that by outshining Vieira for Pompey at Highbury with an all action display that defied belief, coming so soon after his latest trip to the Far East.

It was a performance that reminded Redknapp what a good decision it was to miss a family barbecue to get his man two months ago.

"I was going to a barbecue with my wife when he arrived at Heathrow Airport but I knew he was more importnat than a barbecue!" laughed Redknapp.

"I thought he was outstanding in the first half, he didn't get back from Japan until Friday morning it was a 15 hour flight, so he tired a bit in the second half, but he's a special player, I promise you.

"Patrick Vieria is a fantastic player but so is this boy. When I first looked at him I knew he could play against anybody in the Premier League.

"I won't pretend that I was chasing him, he was offered to us, someone said he could play in a trial game which was incredible for a player worth £1.5 m. The day he first trained with us Teddy Sheringham said 'where did you get him from?!' We knew we had a special talent but he's very tired at the moment - I think he's probably asleep on the coach now!"

Teddy Sheringham's sublime diving header from Steve Stone's cross gave Pompey a deserved lead but the equalising penalty five minutes before half time provided the talking point.

"I'm not saying he purposely dived but it was never a penalty," added Redknapp, and the TV replays provided conclusive proof of Robert Pires' gamesmanship.

And there was more bad news for the Pompey boss after the match.

Patrik Berger faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury in the match.

Tests have shown that the former Czech Republic international has torn his groin and he faces up to six weeks out of action.

Pompey have now only conceded three goals in their five Premiersip games, including two highly dubious penalties.

"Every week I see a poor penalty decision - Gareth Barry kicked the floor, went down and got the penalty against us in the first game of the season," lamented the Pompey boss.

Pompey were by far the better side before Thierry Henry's equaliser, which came courtesy of Pires's deceitful sleight of foot.

Yakubu was a huge threat, he provided more Va Va Voom than Henry, but Jens Lehmann denied him following a first half through ball from Nigel Quashie and shortly after the berak he curled another effort inches wide.

"Yakubu's as strong as an ox, lightning quick and still only a young player," added Redknapp who rated his team's performance alongside the one at Manchester City three weeks earlier.