Theo Walcott levelled before Van Persie sealed victory with a second spotkick after Bent's foul on Laurent Koscielny.

BBC: Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa

The Middle Eastern side, runners-up when hosts in 1996, went on to dominate the game after Hong's spotkick hit the bar but could not beat goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

But Portsmouth hit back seven minutes later with another spotkick, this one more debatable as Nemanja Vidic was ruled to have tugged the shirt of Frederic Piquionne.

CNN: Man Utd ruin Grant's Portsmouth bow