The £7million signing from Udinese gave Villa keeper Scott Carson no chance with two stunning left-footed drives to double his goal tally for the campaign.

A Craig Gardner own goal had set Pompey on their way to victory and all the home side could muster in reply was a late Gareth Barry penalty.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill had predicted Portsmouth could challenge for a top four spot and it was hard to argue with the Irishman on the evidence of this performance.

They are now unbeaten in 11 league games and have an ideal blend of being threatening on the counterattack, creative in midfield and rock solid at the back.

And in David James they have a keeper at the top of his game despite now being 37.

All the pre-match hype had surrounded the re-match of Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar and England keeper Carson after the latter’s blunder in the Euro 2008 qualifier at Wembley.

But it was Muntari who will be making all the headlines with his deadly finishing.

Villa were the first to settle and Ashley Young curled a first-time effort just wide from the edge of the box after good play by Craig Gardner.

But after eight minutes poor defending by Villa gifted the visitors the opener through a Gardner own goal.

Kranjcar had a shot deflected over the bar by Olof Mellberg and the Croatian international took the corner himself and picked out Pedro Mendes on the edge of the box.

He did not appear to make a proper contact on his low ball into the danger area but Wilfred Bouma sliced his attempted clearance across the goal and Gardner, in attempting to deny Benjani, could only turn the ball past Scott Carson.

Villa tried to retaliate and had appeals for a penalty rejected by Riley after a challenge on Gabriel Agbonlahor by Sol Campbell.

Laursen squandered an even better opportunity after Young swung a curling free-kick into the box and he was unmarked when he headed wide from eight yards out.

Villa were now pressing hard for an equaliser and James was alert to block a shot from a narrow angle by Agbonlahor.

Campbell did well to block a shot on the turn from Carew before a stunning strike from Muntari doubled Portsmouth’s lead after 39 minutes.

Glen Johnson rolled the ball into his path some 20 yards out and he hammered an unstoppable rising drive past Carson into the roof of the net.

James ensured Pompey maintained their two-goal advantage by producing a superb save to turn over Agbonlahor’s shot on the turn.

O’Neill made his first substitution early in the second period in bringing on Patrik Berger for Bouma and switching Barry to left-back.

But Kranjcar was only inches wide with a shot on the turn after finding space on the edge of the Villa box.

Villa tried to retaliate and Carew’s glancing header flew just past the far post from a Young centre.

But after an hour Muntari scored another superb goal to put Portsmouth 3-0 ahead.

He dispossessed Reo-Coker in midfield and then surged forward before curling a left-footed drive past the despairing dive of Carson.

Berger was yellow-carded for a late lunge on Johnson.

Barry pulled one back from the penalty spot for the home side after Distin was adjudged to have brought down Young but it was too little, too late for the home side.