Gabriel Martinelli’s first career hat-trick for Arsenal erased an early Portsmouth shock and punched the Gunners’ ticket to the FA Cup fourth round, underscoring their depth as the Premier League leaders chase a rare treble.
Fratton Park was bouncing after Colby Bishop stabbed the League One promotion hopefuls ahead inside 180 seconds. The roar lasted five minutes. Andre Dozzell’s inadvertent toe-poke past his own keeper levelled, and from that moment Mikel Arteta’s rotated side never looked like a team juggling three fronts.
Martinelli’s header on 25 minutes came from a pinpoint Jurriën Timber cross, the Brazilian gliding between centre-backs who had seconds earlier been dreaming of a giant-killing. The second arrived six minutes after restart—a sliding finish after a velvet Martin Ødegaard through-ball. The hat-trick? Another aerial finish, this time from Noni Madueke’s clipped centre, sealing the match at 3-1 and prompting the travelling 3,000 to chant “We’re gonna win the treble” in earnest.
Why this hat-trick matters beyond the scoreboard
- Depth statement: Arteta made six changes from the side that beat Brighton 2-0 on New Year’s Day. Ethan Nwaneri (17) started, Riccardo Calafiori logged 75 minutes at centre-back, and David Raya was rested. Winning comfortably anyway signals a squad finally built for a May workload.
- Martinelli’s rebirth: The Brazilian entered January with two goals in 17 matches across all competitions. A treble doubles his seasonal output in 72 minutes and should super-charge confidence before league trips to Tottenham and Aston Villa.
- Financial windfall: Each FA Cup round passed is worth ~£2.3 million in broadcast & gate share per Arsenal’s internal reporting—handy extra funds for a club already spending near £200 million on transfers and wages this season.
Portsmouth’s early dagger and the tactical tweak that unplugged them
John Mousinho set his side in a narrow 4-2-3-1 designed to funnel Arsenal inside where Marlon Pack snaps into tackles. It worked—briefly. Bishop’s goal came from a second-phase corner, the sort of chaos Arteta loathes. The response was instant: Timber and Calafiori pushed higher, Ødegaard drifted wider to create 3-v-2 overloads, and Martinelli started pinning the full-back instead of dropping. Portsmouth’s midfield triangle was stretched; Dozzell’s own goal was the geometric outcome.
What’s next for Arsenal’s treble chase?
- Fourth-round draw: Monday night’s ball number is 12; potential blockbuster awaits if Manchester United or Chelsea slip up.
- Rotation rhythm: Arteta has now used 26 different starters this season, matching Liverpool for most in the Premier League top-four. Keeping Bukayo Saka and William Saliba fresh for Europe while Martinelli finds form is the new sweet spot.
- Psychological momentum: Since the Bayern Munich defeat in November, Arsenal have won 10 of 11 in all competitions, scoring 31 and conceding six. The last time they pieced together a hotter streak, they lifted the 2020 FA Cup.
Around the grounds: Leeds survive Derby scare, Mansfield shock Blades
Leeds United trailed Derby County through Kayden Jackson’s 12-minute strike until Ao Tanaka arrowed a 25-yard equaliser and James Justin curled a late third to seal a 3-1 win. Daniel Farke’s men remain unbeaten in nine and set up a potential revenge tie versus Manchester City, who dumped them out last year.
Meanwhile League Two Mansfield produced the day’s biggest shock, edging Sheffield United 4-3 in a thriller at Field Mill. Rhys Oates struck a 93rd-minute winner to send the Blades tumbling out and earn the Stags a first fourth-round berth since 1976.
The bottom line
Arsenal’s 4-1 cruise was never just about avoiding banana skins. It was a message that their second string can win ugly, win pretty, and win while resting stars. With Martinelli suddenly red-hot and Arteta’s rotation blueprint validated, the Gunners’ triple-trophy engine is humming louder than any rival dares to admit.
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