Fratton Park doesn't often host coronations,but on this blustery cup afternoon it staged one all the same. Gabriel Martinelli – scorer of goals,collector of bruises, patron saint of relentless running – finally got his Arsenal hat-trick. And it came the hard way: from behind,under pressure, in front of a bouncing lower-league crowd who briefly thought they were about to write their own FA Cup fairytale. Portsmouth scored early. Too early. Two and a half minutes early.
A scramble,a parry,a rebound,and suddenly the home end was in full throat as Colby Bishop reacted quickest. Cue the predictable narrative: “Cup upset brewing… Arsenal rattled… magic of the FA Cup. ” Except this Arsenal side doesn't really do panic anymore. Set-piece FC (and proud of it) Eight minutes in, the mood shifted. Corner. Chaos. Flicks. A clearance that wasn't. André Dozzell,unfortunately for him,became the answer to a pub-quiz question nobody wants to be in. Own goal. Level.
Calm restored. From there, it felt inevitable. Portsmouth were game,credit to them,but they were also defending a little too invitingly — Arsenal prodded at that weakness like a loose tooth. Another corner. Another crowded six-yard box. Another dangerous delivery. Martinelli at the near post. Bang. 2–1. Turnaround complete inside 25 minutes. And Arsenal smelled blood. The one that got away (for about 20 minutes) Martinelli could have had more before the break.
One effort curled just wide with the keeper stranded. One nudged against the post from an angle so tight it looked illegal. Then came the moment to kill the game: a penalty. Noni Madueke stepped up… and sent it wide. Groans. Hands on heads. Fratton Park briefly re-engaged Dream Mode. They shouldn't have bothered. The second-half statement Six minutes after the restart, Arsenal reminded everyone why this is a team chasing trophies on multiple fronts.
Quick thinking,quick free-kick,Gabriel Jesus racing down the side, pull-back,and Martinelli with the tap-in. Brace secured. Resistance fading. From there it was about moments rather than momentum. A curling effort blocked. Debuts and returns. Kai Havertz back on the pitch, shaking off rust with every touch. Portsmouth kept trying, to their credit, but Arsenal were firmly in control. And then, fittingly, the final word. Another corner. Another Madueke assist. Another leap. Another header.
Martinelli, above everyone, powering it home like a man who knew exactly what this meant. Hat-trick. Matchball. Career milestone sealed under navy-blue skies. History,youth,and what comes next There was even time for another kind of history: Marli Salmon becoming Arsenal's youngest-ever FA Cup player at 16 years and 135 days — a reminder that this club, even when chasing silverware,keeps one eye on the future. Havertz nearly added a fairytale return with the last kick. He didn't.
It didn't matter. This was Martinelli's day. From early setback to total control. From chaos to clarity. From promise to proof. Next up? Chelsea away in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Then Nottingham Forest. Then the San Siro. Four competitions. Four away days. Four fronts. If Gabriel Martinelli keeps writing chapters like this, Arsenal's season might yet end with more than just memories of a hat-trick at Fratton Park.
That’s the story from a blustery afternoon on the south coast — fierce, messy, decisive. Until next time.