Gabriel Martinelli’s hat-trick fired Arsenal to a 4-1 win over Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round, but it was an otherwise nervy performance from the Premier League leaders.
After Macclesfield’s major upset win over holders Crystal Palace, another giant-killing was on the cards as Championship strugglers Pompey took the lead inside three minutes at Fratton Park.
The heavily-rotated Gunners quickly equalised however and made the most of their set-piece prowess to get the job done – even with Noni Madueke blazing a penalty wide.
Portsmouth flew out of the traps with their high-press catching Mikel Arteta’s men out and the ground was rocking when Colby Bishop lashed in the opener from close range after Kepa Arrizabalaga parried a shot into his path.
Arsenal responded quickly and were level just five minutes later as the home side failed to clear a corner, with the ball deflecting across the line off the unfortunate Andre Dozzell.
But Pompey were not deterred and gave the Premier League title favourites a run for the money, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly struggling to get a foothold in the game.
But they simply could not deal with Arsenal’s pristine corners, with Martinelli heading the visitors ahead with relative ease.
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They should have been 3-1 up at the break after Madueke was fouled in the box but while the England winger’s slow, stuttered run up sent the keeper the wrong way, he fired his penalty wide of the post – much to the amusement of Fratton Park faithful.
Martinelli did make it 3-1 just after the break, tapping home at the far post from Gabriel Jesus’ perfect low cross, before he completed his first career hat-trick with a carbon copy of his first goal.
Pompey can take pride from their performance and now focus on avoiding relegation to League One, with John Mousinho’s side one point above the drop zone.
Arsenal will be in the fourth round draw on Monday night but attention now turns to their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Chelsea.
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