It has not been the easiest of weeks for Gabriel Martinelli, but his hat-trick to propel Arsenal to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 victory against Portsmouth ensured his football was the talk of Fratton Park.
The Brazilian has recently made headlines for other reasons. He was heavily chastised for attempting to shove Conor Bradley off the pitch after the Liverpool defender went down injured during Arsenal’s goalless draw on Thursday night. According To Irishi News.
Bradley would have to be carried out on a stretcher due to the injury, which Liverpool has subsequently confirmed is “significant”.
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Martinelli officially apologised for the incident and to Bradley, but he still received some nasty words. Sky Sports commentator Gary Neville was among the most vocal detractors, and the travelling Arsenal fans certainly made their displeasure about the former Manchester United defender’s comments known following Martinelli’s hat-trick goal.
He was also booed by the Portsmouth fans in attendance, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the attacker’s ability to block out the noise and focus on his performance did not surprise him.
“It’s part of football, and then it’s how you take it,” Arteta remarked of the criticism Martinelli has received.
“But he understood why he did what he did. I believe Arne Slot talked well after the game, explaining your opponent’s condition and the fact that Gabi had no intention of causing harm to any player.
“And yes, that is personality. Come in and speak about the pitch, which is the best part of it.
“That is why, to play for a large club, you must have a big personality because it can be bad, an action missed.
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