Martinelli stays in the headlines after another Arsenal set-piece clinic

The Brazilian was widely criticised for trying to push Conor Bradley off the pitch on Thursday.

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire. 

FA Cup Third Round: Portsmouth 1 Arsenal 4

Gabriel Martinelli will be delighted that it was his football that was the talking point at Fratton Park as he scored a hat-trick to send Arsenal through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in three years with a 4-1 victory over Championship side Portsmouth.

The Brazilian was widely criticised for trying to push Conor Bradley off of the pitch after he had gone down injured during Arsenal’s goalless draw with Liverpool on Thursday night, for which the forward has since apologised.

Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville was among the most vocal of critics, and the travelling Arsenal supporters certainly let their feelings about the former Manchester United defender's comments be known after Martinelli's hat-trick goal.

It certainly was not as straightforward as it should have been for Mikel Arteta’s much changed side in this third round tie, however, with Pompey taking the lead just three minutes into the clash when Colby Bishop fired in from close range after Kepa Arrizabalaga had parried Conor Chaplin’s effort to the centre-forward.

It was Bishop’s first goal since August, and raised the decibel level inside Fratton Park even higher. Portsmouth fans are famed for the intimidating the atmosphere they create for visiting teams but there was an extra edge with the Premier League leaders in town.

The Gunners managed to quieten that atmosphere just five minutes later, however, when Ebere Eze’s corner caused carnage in the Portsmouth penalty area, before the final touch of the ball came off Andre Dozzell and into his own net to level the score.

“Set piece again ole, ole” sang the away end of more than 3,000, and those chants got even louder after 25 minutes when Martinelli glanced Noni Madueke’s corner beyond a helpless Josef Bursik in the Pompey goal for his first of the afternoon.

Arsenal should have had the tie dead and buried by half-time but somehow went in with just a goal advantage. First, goalscorer Martinelli bent just wide of the bottom corner after racing through one v one, before spurning an even better chance when Ben White’s low cross was touched on by Noni Madueke into the path of the Brazilian, who somehow hit the post with the goal gaping.

Arsenal’s best chance to add a third before half-time would come just two minutes before the break, however, when the lively Madueke was pulled down in the area by Zak Swanson. Madueke would take the spot-kick himself, but was left red-faced when his nonchalant run-up was followed by the winger firing wide of the bottom corner.

But the visitors would get their crucial third goal right after the restart. Martinelli was not going to miss a third big chance to grab a second, sliding in to finish from a fine pass by fellow Brazilian Gabriel Jesus.

And he completed his hat-trick, and Arsenal's scoring, with another header from a corner to wrap up the victory for Arteta's side and keep their hopes of a quadruple alive.

There was another welcome sight for Arsenal fans late on, with Kai Havertz coming off the bench for his first appearance since August having been sidelined with a knee injury.

ARSENAL (4-3-3): Kepa 6; White 7 (Timber), Norgaard 7, Gabriel 7 (Salmon), Lewis-Skelly 6; Nwaneri 7 (Odegaard), Merino 7, Eze 7; Madueke 7, Jesus 7 (Havertz), Martinelli 9 

PORTSMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Bursik 5; Devlin 5, Poole 5, Shaugnessy 5 (Ogilvie), Swanson 4 (Williams); Dozzell 5, Le Roux 5 (Pack); Segegic 5 (Swift), Chaplin 6, Blair 5 (Umeh); Bishop 7 

Referee: Tony Harrington 7