Arsenal Escape Portsmouth Upset Bid: Player Ratings from Thrilling FA Cup Battle

Arsenal secured their passage to the FA Cup fourth round with a 4–1 triumph over Portsmouth, though the final score didn't reflect the challenges they faced throughout the match.

Mikel Arteta rotated his squad extensively, making 10 alterations to his starting eleven, with only Gabriel retaining his spot from the goalless stalemate against Liverpool. Portsmouth stunned the visitors with an early three-minute opener that they fully merited, before Christian Nørgaard and Gabriel Martinelli both converted from set pieces to calm nerves, though Noni Madueke's penalty miss added to the drama.

The Gunners showed marked improvement following the interval, spearheaded by Martinelli's close-range finish and his hat-trick completion from another corner delivery, eventually demonstrating their superior class to close out the contest with relative ease.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Portsmouth (4-3-3)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga—6.7: Appeared unsettled in the opening stages and could have handled Portsmouth's goal more effectively. David Raya's starting position remains secure.

RB: Ben White—6.9: Distinguished himself with exceptional technical ability and contributed significantly in attack through his precise long-range distribution. Unlikely to remain outside Arteta's first-choice lineup for extended periods.

CB: Christian Nørgaard—6.9: Adapted well to his unfamiliar role. Relished the defensive challenges and appeared composed when in possession, initiating Arsenal's build-up play with intelligent passing from deep.

CB: Gabriel—6.3: Found himself more involved than anticipated and didn't always excel as Portsmouth applied considerable aerial pressure.

LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.1: Portsmouth deliberately focused on the young defender, seeking to capitalize on his relative lack of physical presence. The teenager found it difficult against his aggressive adversaries.

DM: Mikel Merino—7.6: Operated calmly from his deep-lying position, maintaining the team's rhythm. Effective in challenges to halt Portsmouth's counter-attacking threats.

CM: Eberechi Eze—6.8: Recording only 12 touches in the opening period highlighted Eze's peripheral involvement. A truly underwhelming display as he failed to influence the match meaningfully.

CM: Ethan Nwaneri—6.6: Showed moments of quality from the teenager, though Nwaneri appeared somewhat off the pace occasionally. Important playing time for the 18-year-old despite mixed results.

RW: Noni Madueke—7.7: The incident of earning a spot-kick before sending it wide perfectly encapsulated Madueke's inconsistent showing. Physically overpowered for the opening strike but compensated with two corner assists.

ST: Gabriel Jesus—7.3: Contributed minimally in the first period but demonstrated his class with a superb assist for Martinelli early in the second half.

LW: Gabriel Martinelli—9.6: Finished his chances clinically and might have scored several more in a display that was both thrilling and occasionally maddening. Devastatingly effective from corner situations.

Subs not used: David Raya (GK), Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres.

Portsmouth (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Josef Bursik; Terry Devlin, Regan Poole, Conor Shaughnessy, Zak Swanson; Andre Dozzell, Luke Le Roux; Adrian Segečić, Conor Chaplin, Harvey Blair; Colby Bishop.

Subs used: Franco Umeh, Connor Ogilvie, Marlon Pack, Jordan Williams, John Swift.

Player of the Match: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)

Portsmouth 1–4 Arsenal—How it Unfolded at Fratton Park

Portsmouth began energetically and remarkably took the lead within the opening three minutes.

Noni Madueke lost possession carelessly and a dangerous delivery into the penalty area found Conor Chaplin. The midfielder's effort was pushed away by Kepa Arrizabalaga, who arguably should have handled it better than directing the ball toward Colby Bishop for a simple tap-in opener.

Fortunately for Arsenal, their deficit was short-lived. Just five minutes afterward, Nørgaard scrambled home from a corner kick, deflecting the ball off Portsmouth midfielder Andre Dozzell and across the goal line.

Arsenal established control of possession but failed to meet expectations early on, with Mikel Arteta clearly frustrated by his team's lack of creativity. Nevertheless, the Gunners led 2–1 after 25 minutes when Martinelli nodded home from another corner delivery.

Conditions gradually improved for Arsenal and Martinelli nearly extended his tally just before the break, striking the woodwork with an open goal beckoning, but the Gunners quickly regrouped and Madueke soon earned a spot-kick after being fouled by Zak Swanson.

Madueke took responsibility but, following a stuttering approach, failed to find the target as he pulled his effort wide of the upright in the final significant moment of a lackluster first period.

Arteta maintained the same starting eleven for the second half and was celebrating a third goal within six minutes, as Martinelli converted at the far post from Gabriel Jesus's precise low delivery.

Arsenal showed considerable improvement after the interval—it would have been challenging not to—but Portsmouth remained spirited and energetic, ensuring the Gunners understood they faced a genuine contest.

The introduction of Kai Havertz for the closing 20 minutes marked his first appearance since the season opener, providing a positive moment for Arsenal, as did Martinelli's header into the net from another corner kick.

Portsmouth couldn't sustain their intensity and eventually found themselves pushed back by Arsenal, who controlled possession and navigated the remainder of the match smoothly to secure their progression to the next stage.

Portsmouth vs. Arsenal Half-Time Stats

Portsmouth vs. Arsenal Full Time Stats