Arsenal's Reserves See Off Portsmouth in FA Cup: Martinelli Stars, Gyokeres Disappoints

Mikel Arteta got precisely what he wanted from this FA Cup tie at Fratton Park—a chance to rotate his squad and assess which fringe players merit more minutes. What he got was a bit more drama than anticipated, though Arsenal ultimately had enough to progress 4-1.

Portsmouth gave the Premier League leaders a genuine fright early on. Colby Bishop's third-minute finish was the last thing Arteta needed, but it proved to be merely a blip. Within 23 minutes, Arsenal had turned matters around entirely, and from that point the outcome was never in doubt.

The Gunners' set-piece mastery proved decisive. They scored twice from corners to overtake their hosts, then added a third from the same source before Gabriel Martinelli completed his treble. Even a missed penalty couldn't dampen the party. Three set-piece goals and a spot-kick skied into orbit—it rather tells you where Arsenal's greatest threat now lies.

The standouts

Martinelli capped off an eventful week with his first senior hat-trick. His opening header was a thing of beauty, launching himself skyward to meet Noni Madueke's delivery at the front post. The second came courtesy of Gabriel Jesus's low cross finding him unmarked at the back post. His third, arriving in the 25th minute, proved to be the go-ahead goal—another Madueke corner, another Martinelli header, though this time Josef Bursik could only parry it into the roof of the net.

Madueke himself deserves credit for the quality of his service. Those two corner kicks were delivered with precision, even if he then proceeded to side-foot a penalty wide. His direct running troubled Portsmouth throughout, and he won the spot-kick that he subsequently wasted after leaving left-back Zak Swanson in his wake.

Jesus produced a delicious assist and moved the ball smartly, though his reluctance to shoot remains a familiar frustration. Kai Havertz marked his return from injury with a solid showing, while Marli Salmon, the youngest Arsenal player ever to feature in the FA Cup, will forever occupy a place in club folklore.

The disappointments

Kepa Arrizabalaga's weak parry allowed Bishop in for the opener, a moment that could prove costly if David Raya starts Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea. Myles Lewis-Skelly, after a concerning cameo at Liverpool, continued to look uncomfortable, with the 19-year-old appearing every inch a teenager thrust into left-back duties rather than the midfielder who impressed last season.

Ebere Eze failed to make the most of his opportunity against Championship opposition. With Martin Odegaard, Leandro Trossard, Madueke and Martinelli all ahead of him in the pecking order, this performance won't help his cause, especially if Arteta's enthusiasm for the player has genuinely waned.

Viktor Gyokeres, meanwhile, found no favours in this lower-league setting, offering little of the clinical edge that's made him such a threat elsewhere.

As for Martinelli's match ball—that garish orange Mitre—well, that's one keepsake that won't be making pride of place in anyone's trophy cabinet.