ARSENAL STEPS UP AND TAKES WIN ON PORTSMOUTH AFTER HAT TRICK FROM MARTINELLI
Arsenal easily defeated Portsmouth at Fratton Park and advanced to the FA Cup fourth round thanks to a hat-trick from Gabriel Martinelli.
Colby Bishop gave the Championship hosts the lead after three minutes, and the Gunners, who had made ten changes to their starting lineup, appeared to be on the verge of another FA Cup shock after Wrexham and Macclesfield earlier this weekend. However, Christian Norgaard forced the ball in through Portsmouth's Andre Dozzell after a signature Gunners corner to tie the score after Arsenal had only been behind for five minutes.
After 25 minutes, Martinelli flicked Noni Madueke's corner into the net in another set-piece, giving the visitors the lead.
After being pulled down by Zak Swanson, Maduke had an opportunity to score a third goal from the penalty spot, but the England international dragged the ball wide. Myles Lewis-Skelly's quick thinking allowed Gabriel Jesus to play a low cross into the area, and the Brazilian tapped in from close range. Martinelli, who had struck the post and squandered a fantastic opportunity in the first half, added a third.
When the forward flicked the ball on from the near post and into the net, Martinelli scored his third goal from another Arsenal corner. Then, at 16 years and 135 days, defender Marli Salmon made history by becoming the youngest player to play for the Gunners in the FA Cup. Martinelli has had a difficult season. During the week, he got into a fight with injured Liverpool defender Conor Bradley, for which he received harsh criticism.
However, the winger will be hoping that his first hat-trick for the Gunners will give him the lift he needs as Arsenal looks to win significant hardware for the first time since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
Although Martinelli is no longer a regular starter in the Premier League, he has performed admirably in the Champions League, scoring in the Gunners' first four games. With eight summer additions to the squad, including attackers Madueke, Eberechi Eze, and Viktor Gyokeres, the battle for spots has intensified this season.
Because of this depth, Arteta was able to make ten changes and still field a squad that included England internationals Madueke and Eze in addition to Spain international Mikel Merino.
Gabriel Magalhaes, a crucial centre back, was the only player to maintain his spot in Thursday's draw with Liverpool. One of Arsenal's top players at Fratton Park was Merino, the team's captain for the day. The 29-year-old used his experience to perform a crucial role when asked to play in an unfamiliar deep-lying midfield position once more.
In addition to the positive aspects of the victory, such as Martinelli's hat-trick and the squad players' minutes, Arteta was able to welcome back Kai Havertz, who played for the first time since suffering a knee injury on the first day of the season.
This was the first of the Gunners' four away games in four different competitions, and the fact that they still have a lot to play for shows how successful their season has been thus far.