Mikel Arteta singles out Gabriel Martinelli after Arsenal star responds to fan backlash - The Mirror

Gabriel Martinelli was slammed for his actions against Liverpool in midweek but singled out by Mikel Arteta after scoring a hat-trick in Arsenal's big FA Cup win

Mikel Arteta praised Gabriel Martinelli’s “big personality” after his FA Cup hat trick put Arsenal into the fourth round.

Martinelli scored his first hat trick for Arsenal with his first goals in the competition just three days after being in the eye of the storm surrounding Liverpool ’s Conor Bradley. Gunners winger Martinelli publicly apologised after trying to pull Bradley off the pitch during Arsenal’s goalless draw at the Emirates as he insisted he did not realise the Liverpool defender was badly hurt.

Arsenal boss Arteta said: “That's why to play for a big club, you need a big personality because it can be bad, it can be an action that you miss, it can be something that costs you a game. And three days later, there is a game. So you need to lift yourself up and make it count.

“It's part of football and then it's how you take it. But he knew inside the reason why he did what he did. I think Arne Slot spoke brilliantly after the game, speaking of your opponent in the manner that he explained the situation and the fact that Gabi had no intention whatsoever to damage any player.

“His personality is to come in and talk on the pitch, which is the best part of it. I love it. Gabi, in every context that you throw him in, he plays, he doesn’t play. He performs well, not well. Today, he scored three goals.”

Incredibly, Brazil star Martinelli even scored two from corners with near post headers to carry on Arsenal’s knack of being the set-piece specialists. But Arteta insisted that Martinelli told him he would score from a set-piece the day before the game. “He is very good. His timing in the box is really good, especially when he’s in certain spaces. And yesterday, he was talking about it.”

Arteta said he expects to hear more on injured defender Piero Hincapie on Monday after he limped off injured against Liverpool while fit-again Kai Havertz returned as a substitute at Portsmouth.

Arteta added: “We had some great, positive things today. Obviously, winning the match and being in the next round. Kai, after so many months and all the effort that he's put in to be back fit and looking like he's done that.

“Probably tomorrow we'll know a little bit more on Hincapie. Where he's at, obviously, he has to come up. He's never had a good sign, but hopefully it's not too much.”

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