On a blustery afternoon at Fratton Park, Portsmouth stunned early with a 2½-minute opener, but Arsenal steadied and swung the momentum back quickly.

An unfortunate own goal levelled the match before Gabriel Martinelli put Arsenal ahead; he hit the post and a missed penalty raised the tension, but the second half belonged to him.

Six minutes after the restart Martinelli completed a brace from a Gabriel Jesus assist, and later rose to head home a third from a Noni Madueke delivery to seal the hat-trick and the win.

The match also featured Arsenal youth history with Marli Salmon's debut, and the victory keeps Arsenal pressing on multiple fronts with big fixtures to come.