Gabriel Martinelli's hat-trick powers Arsenal to 4-1 win over Portsmouth
What's the story
Arsenal staged a stunning comeback to defeat Portsmouth 4-1 in the FA Cup third round on Sunday. The victory was largely thanks to Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, who scored a hat-trick. His performance came after facing criticism related to the Conor Bradley incident earlier this week. The win secures Arsenal's place in the fourth round of the prestigious tournament.
Match highlights
Portsmouth's early lead and Arsenal's quick response
Portsmouth stunned Arsenal with an early goal from Colby Bishop in the third minute. However, the Gunners equalized shortly after through a corner kick. Christian Norgaard appeared to score, but replays showed the ball deflected off Pompey defender Andre Dozzell for an own goal. Arsenal have recently benefited from several own goals in their matches across all competitions.
Goal surge
Martinelli's brace secures Arsenal's lead
Martinelli put Arsenal ahead with a header from Noni Madueke's corner. Despite missing two clear chances, including one that hit the post, he doubled his tally shortly after halftime. Myles Lewis-Skelly set up Martinelli with a quick free-kick, and his cross was tapped home by the Brazilian for an easy finish. This was Martinelli's first senior hat-trick of his career.
Team strength
Arsenal's squad depth shines through
Despite making 10 changes from their previous match against Liverpool, Arsenal fielded a strong side with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Martinelli. Ben White, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard provided experience at the back. The return of Kai Havertz was also a major boost for Arsenal as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures in different competitions.
Martinelli
Martinelli races to 60 goals for Arsenal
As per Opta, Martinelli scored his first hat-trick for Arsenal (249th appearance), with this the first for them in the FA Cup since Theo Walcott's treble in January 2017 (vs Southampton). From 249 appearances, Martinelli has raced to 60 goals across all competitions. In 24 matches this season, he has scored nine times for Arsenal.
Records
Unique records for the Gunners
As per Opta, Arsenal have won nine of their 10 matches in cup competitions this season (D1), including all five away from home. They have managed to score 26 goals and only conceded three times across the 10 matches. This was the third time this season that Arsenal have scored 2+ goals from corners in a match; more than any other Premier League side.