Arsenal hat-trick hero Martinelli does talking on the pitch after Bradley controversy, Arteta says

The Brazilian hit a treble against Pompey in the cup.

BOUNCING BACK: Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring their side's fourth goal of the game. Pic: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

It certainly has not been the easiest of weeks for Gabriel Martinelli, but his hat-trick to fire Arsenal through to the fourth round of the FA Cup in a 4-1 win over Portsmouth ensured his football was the talking point at Fratton Park.

The Brazilian has been in the headlines for other reasons in recent days. He was widely criticised for trying to push Conor Bradley off of the pitch after the Liverpool defender had gone down injured during Arsenal’s goalless draw on Thursday night.

Bradley would have to be taken off on a stretcher with the injury, which Liverpool have since confirmed is a “significant” one.

Martinelli publicly apologised for the incident, and to Bradley himself, but nonetheless was on the end of some harsh words. 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 heard after Martinelli's hat-trick goal.

He was also booed by the Portsmouth fans in attendance, but Gunners boss Mikel Arteta says the resilience of the attacker to shut out the noise and focus on his performance did not surprise him.

“It's part of football, and then it's how you take it,” Arteta said on the criticism Martinelli has faced.

“But he knew inside the reason why he did what he did. I think Arne Slot spoke brilliantly after the game, speaking of your opponent in the manner that he explained the situation and the fact that Gabi had no intention whatsoever to damage any player.

“And yeah, that's personality. Come in and talk on the pitch, which is the best part of it.

“That's why to play for a big club, you need a big personality because it can be bad, it can be an action that you miss, it can be something that costs you a game. And three days later, there is a game. So, you need to lift yourself up and make it count.

“Gabi, in every context that you throw him in, he plays, he doesn’t play. He performs well, not well. Today, he scored three goals. Tomorrow, he's going to train 100 miles an hour, for sure. He's not going to change that. And that's Gabi.” 

Martinelli might have had a hat-trick, but the 24-year-old could, and really should, have had more goals against Championship side Pompey.

That is not to say it was straightforward for the Gunners, with John Mousinho’s men 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.

Arsenal 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 on 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 him firing wide of the bottom corner.

But Martinelli was not going to miss a third big chance to grab a second after the restart, 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 Madueke corner to wrap up the victory for Arteta's side and keep their hopes of a quadruple alive. Next up is another cup clash - the small matter of a Carabao Cup semi-final with London rivals Chelsea.

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