It has not taken long for Emile Heskey and Villa to find some common ground.

Both are enjoying their new surroundings.

Heskey, a player not renowned for his goalscoring exploits, announced his arrival with a debut goal within 21 minutes at Fratton Park.

Not bad going for a player who had managed just three goals all season for Wigan.

Record-breaking Villa, meanwhile, look more cosy among the big boys by the week as their Champions League charge continues to gather pace.

This sixth straight league away victory – the first time they have ever done so over a single campaign – has thrust them into third place, ahead of Chelsea, level with Liverpool and six points clear of Arsenal.

It is no longer just the Gunners who will be worried.

Now the pressure is transferred back to the rival trio to respond in their respective fixtures tonight.

Again Villa rode their luck – Portsmouth had by far and away the best of the chances and possession. But to go 11 Premier League games unbeaten is no fluke.

And most promisingly of all, it can get better – if Villa do the business against Wigan on Saturday.

Liverpool face Chelsea the following day and, should Villa beat Heskey’s old club, they are the guaranteed winners.

Of course, there is a long way to go, as boss Martin O’Neill was again quick to point out. There are still 45 points to play for – just two less than Villa have on the board.

But whether he admits or not, O’Neill’s side are in this title race – and Heskey could make all the difference.

Any more goals will always be welcomed, but they have never been the essence of his game. And without Martin Laursen and John Carew in the side, Heskey’s aerial qualities are invaluable – at both ends.

Time after time he won crucial near-post clearances when defending corners, again and again his brute strength allowed him to hold the ball up and intelligently bring the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor and James Milner into play. Full marks for his finishing last night too.

All this for £3.5m. That’s four Craig Bellamys.

It should be pointed out that Portsmouth are not the side they were when they visited Villa Park in October.

For Harry Redknapp, read Tony Adams. For Lassana Diarra, read Hayden Mullins. And for Jermain Defoe, read David Nugent.

It is just eight months since their FA Cup triumph but the team that manufactured those magnificent memories for the Pompey faithful are crumbling before their eyes.

They have now won just two of 14 Premier League matches since Adams became manager and their Cup crown was relinquished with a whimper against Swansea on Saturday.

Hopes of another European adventure next season have been exchanged for relegation fears and already Adams finds his position under scrutiny.

It is a warning to Villa of just how quickly things can change but, fortunately for the claret and blues, they are heading in the opposite direction. Yet despite the two sides’ contrasting fortunes of late, there was little to separate them early on.

Stiliyan Petrov saw a fizzing shot veer wide and the home side had decent attempts via Hayden Mullins and Sean Davis. But that was pretty much it.

So what came next was out of the blue to say the least.

Brad Friedel’s long punt was flicked on by Heskey, Agbonlahor rose above Sylvain Distin to flick it on again and there was the big man to fire a low shot past David James. Dream debut stuff.

It should have been two on 41 minutes when Agbonlahor raced clean through on to Petrov’s long ball but, just as at Doncaster, the striker’s predatory instincts deserted him.

The England star, coming from the left side of the box, opened his feet up in an attempt to steer inside the far corner, but he got it all horribly wrong and scuffed well wide of the opposite post.

Portsmouth should have been reduced to 10 men moments before the break when Nadir Belhadj took a cynical swipe from behind at Craig Gardner, who had dispossessed him moments earlier.

The challenge was a disgrace.

There appeared real menace in the Algeria international’s challenge but he escaped with a yellow card. Luckily for Gardner, he escaped with his leg intact.

Further controversy was narrowly avoided seconds before the whistle when Belhadj pounced on a mistake from Cuellar only to smash over.

He should not have been on the field.

Pompey came out fighting early in the second period, Curtis Davies making a vital headed interception with Peter Crouch ready to pounce before Brad Friedel beat away Pennant’s stinging effort. O’Neill’s men were on the back foot, Pompey’s possession registered at 71 per cent at one stage, but, as so many sides have discovered to their peril this term, Villa were always a threat on the counter.

All the best chances were falling the home side’s way, though, none more so than on 59 minutes. Crouch’s shot was blocked by Davies but the ball fell to Pennant on the byline, he cut the ball back to Crouch but, with the goal at his mercy, he somehow fired over.

Then Portsmouth’s comeback hopes were undermined on 69 when Belhadj was sent off for a second yellow.

Belhadj thought Cuellar had handballed by the touchline and caught the ball himself, only the referee never blew.

The Pompey winger vented his anger at the referee’s assistant and before he knew it he was marching down the tunnel – only a half too late.

Despite being a man down, Pompey still looked a threat as Villa continued to invite pressure. Doing so clearly suits their counter-attacking qualities but that they escaped owed as much to Portsmouth’s profligacy as their own defending, which, it must be said, was first-class throughout.

Zat Knight and Curtis Davies were as impressive as they have looked together as a pairing while Luke Young scrapped tigerishly for every ball.

There was a rare chance when Heskey raced clear only to be denied by an onrushing James, the ball fell to Milner 25 yards out but he fired wide with James stranded. There were covering defenders in place.

There was a heart-stopping moment late on when substitute John Utaka raced through but Friedel came to the rescue with a superb smothering stop as Villa dug in for yet another hard-fought victory.

By Brendan McLoughlin.