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.
