Brazilian’s Treble and Historic Teen Debut Secure Fourth-Round Spot After Early Scare
Gabriel Martinelli delivered a stunning hat-trick as Arsenal overcame an early shock to comfortably defeat Portsmouth 4-1 at Fratton Park on Sunday, booking their place in the FA Cup fourth round.
The Championship hosts stunned a much-changed Gunners side when Colby Bishop scored after just three minutes, but Arsenal responded instantly. Christian Nørgaard leveled from a corner two minutes later before Martinelli took center stage.
The Brazilian forward scored his first just before halftime, flicking in a Noni Madueke corner, before adding two more in the second half—both from close range—to complete his treble and kill off the tie.
“Gabriel was brilliant today. He showed his quality and his hunger,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who made 10 changes to his starting lineup. “We reacted well after a difficult start.”
The match also saw a piece of club history as 16-year-old defender Marli Salmon came off the bench to become Arsenal’s youngest-ever player in the FA Cup.
Portsmouth, who had briefly dreamed of a giant-killing, were ultimately overwhelmed by Arsenal’s set-piece threat and Martinelli’s clinical finishing. The Gunners now await Monday’s draw as they continue their pursuit of a first FA Cup since 2020.
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