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Gabriel Martinelli ended Arsenal’s last game as public enemy No 1 with Liverpool fans and Gary Neville after his clash with Conor Bradley on Thursday. But it was the Brazilian who was their saviour against Portsmouth after the Championship side had briefly threatened to record their first win over the Premier League leaders in 23 attempts after Colby Bishop’s early strike.
Martinelli’s hat-trick included two almost identical headers from corners after an own goal from Andre Dozzell had drawn them level following – you guessed it – another corner. That takes Arsenal’s tally from set pieces the season to 17 and one wonders where they would be without them.
Yet such is their proficiency under Nicolas Jover these days that Mikel Arteta can virtually rely on at least one bearing fruit, even after making 10 changes from the stalemate against Liverpool that maintained their six-point lead at the top of the table.
The Arsenal manager will have mixed memories of their last trip here in the fifth round, during his first season in charge, when they won 2-0 on their way to winning the competition and he also contracted Covid. Martinelli was the only player here who started that game six years ago and only Gabriel Magalhães kept his place from Thursday as Ethan Nwaneri started a game for the first time since the end of October and impressed in midfield.
The Portsmouth defender Regan Poole had predicted that his side would have to make things “ugly” for their gilded opponents and the weather on the south coast certainly obliged. Wind and rain swept over the ground in the buildup to kick-off and the home supporters were clearly in the mood.
Their enthusiasm was matched by John Mousinho’s side, who came into this game having suffered a 5-0 thrashing against Bristol City to start the new year and find themselves perilously close to the Championship’s relegation zone. You have to go back to 1958 and a 5-4 victory here in the First Division for the last time Portsmouth got one over Arsenal. But it seemed like an upset may be on the cards just two minutes in when Bishop scored his first goal in 20 appearances.
Arsenal didn’t seem to know what had hit them when Noni Madueke tamely lost possession and Harvey Blair was able to pick out the unmarked Conor Chaplin inside the area. His shot was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga but it fell straight to the gleeful Bishop and he could not miss.
To Arteta’s relief, Arsenal were level within minutes when Eberechi Eze’s corner was eventually bundled in at the back post by Dozzell – son of the former Tottenham midfielder Jason – under close attention from Christian Nørgaard. Bishop wasn’t far away from his second when Blair’s shot was saved and the ball deflected wide.
After Martinelli rose to head home Madueke’s corner as Portsmouth’s defence was caught out again, Arsenal should have been out of sight by half-time. But he spurned two excellent chances before Madueke was awarded a penalty less than 60 seconds later following a foul by Zak Swanson. The England forward looked full of confidence, only for him to completely miss the target, to Portsmouth fans’ delight.
Yet even after a positive start to the second half any hopes of a comeback were virtually ended when Martinelli finally scored again six minutes after the restart. Myles Lewis-Skelly took a quick free-kick that caught Portsmouth napping and Gabriel Jesus was able to pick out his Brazilian compatriot at the back post for a simple finish. His third was virtually a carbon copy of his first goal as Madueke again unerringly found his forehead from a corner.
Eze could have made it more emphatic late on, while there was a piece of history when Marli Salmon came off the bench and in the process became the youngest player to play for Arsenal in the FA Cup, at the age of just 16 years and 135 days, as Kai Havertz also returned form his long layoff.
Portsmouth ended the game with 10 men after the substitute Franco Umeh suffered a hamstring injury and they had no substitutes remaining. They will have bigger battles to fight this season. For Arsenal. who have reached the fourth round for the first time since 2023, the possibility of a quadruple remains alive.
