Gabriel Martinelli scored a hat-trick as Arsenal reached the fourth round of the FA Cup by beating Portsmouth 4–1.
The Premier League leaders fell behind within three minutes at Fratton Park on Sunday as Colby Bishop took advantage of an uncharacteristically slow Gunners defence.
Yet hopes of a cup tie were quickly dashed when Arsenal took the lead in the 25th minute.
Arsenal’s playmaking prowess was on display as Andre Dozzell slotted home in his own goal before Martinelli, who was criticized for pushing the injured Conor Bradley off the pitch during the Gunners’ draw with Liverpool on Thursday, nodded from Noni Madueke’s brilliant inswinger.
Madueke squandered a golden opportunity to make it 3-1 before half-time when he fired wide from the penalty spot, having won the penalty just after Martinelli had hit the woodwork.
Yet Arsenal did have a two-goal buffer when Martinelli slid in to meet Gabriel Jesus’ low center early in the second half, while the Brazilian winger completed his hat-trick when he headed in again from a brilliant Madueke corner in the 72nd minute.
1 – Gabriel Martinelli has scored his first hat-trick for Arsenal (249th appearance), making it their first in the FA Cup since Theo Walcott’s treble in January 2017 (against Southampton). Clinical. pic.twitter.com/VHRVDErhEM
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 11, 2026
Data debrief: Martinelli abandons hopes of FA Cup magic
There would be no massive killing this time as Arsenal’s quality shone through, with Mikel Arteta even able to call on Kai Havertz following his long-awaited return from injury.
Martinelli has not been a regular starter in the first team this season, making just 12 appearances from the starting line-up, but that hasn’t stopped him from being among the goals.
His hat-trick took his total for the season to nine (eight of which came in the cup), while he scored three goals in a single match for Arsenal for the first time. It was the first time a Gunners player had scored a treble in an FA Cup tie since Theo Walcott against Southampton in January 2017.
Martinelli led Arsenal in shots (six), although two of his goals owed much to the quality service of Madueke, who created three joint chances with Martin Odegaard.
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