FA Cup: Martinelli Fires Hat-Trick As Arsenal Survive Early Shock, Thrash Portsmouth

Gabriel Martinelli scored a brilliant hat-trick as Arsenal recovered from an early setback to record a comfortable victory over Championship side Portsmouth at Fratton Park and secure qualification for the fourth round of the FA Cup.

With several Premier League clubs already falling victim to shock defeats over the weekend, the Gunners appeared on course for a similar upset when the hosts stunned them inside the opening minutes.

Naija News reports that Portsmouth struck just three minutes into the encounter through Colby Bishop, who capitalised on a sluggish start from an Arsenal side that featured 10 changes from their usual starting line-up.

The early goal lifted the home fans and briefly exposed the visitors, who struggled to settle in the opening exchanges.

Arsenal, however, responded almost immediately. Just two minutes after conceding, Mikel Arteta’s side drew level from a well-worked corner, with Christian Norgaard forcing the ball into the net via Portsmouth midfielder Andre Dozzell.

The equaliser steadied the Gunners, who gradually began to impose their quality on the game.

The turnaround was completed midway through the first half when Martinelli put Arsenal ahead in the 25th minute. From another corner, Noni Madueke’s delivery was cleverly flicked on by the Brazilian winger, wrong-footing the Portsmouth goalkeeper to make it 2-1.

Madueke had the opportunity to further extend Arsenal’s advantage moments later after he was brought down in the box by Zak Swanson. However, the England international squandered the chance, dragging his penalty wide.

Despite hitting the post and missing another clear-cut opportunity before half-time, Martinelli continued to torment the Portsmouth defence after the break.

His second goal arrived when Gabriel Jesus latched onto quick thinking from teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly before sending in a low cross that Martinelli converted from close range.

The Brazilian completed his hat-trick in emphatic fashion from yet another Arsenal corner, glancing the ball into the net at the near post to put the result beyond doubt and cap a dominant individual display.

The night also produced a historic moment for Arsenal, as defender Marli Salmon became the club’s youngest-ever FA Cup player at just 16 years and 135 days, underlining Arteta’s continued faith in youth.

The comprehensive victory ensured Arsenal avoided an FA Cup upset and safely progressed to the fourth round, with Martinelli’s treble standing out as the highlight of the evening at Fratton Park.