Premier League leaders Arsenal will travel to the south coast to face Championship side Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners reinstated their six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a goalless draw against reigning champions Liverpool on Thursday, and manager Mikel Arteta will be keen to see his side return to winning ways at Fratton Park.
The north London giants will go into Saturday’s match as heavy favourites to progress to the fourth round, but Arteta will be wary of avoiding an upset in a competition notorious for ‘giant killings’.
In the wake of Thursday’s match at The Emirates, it has emerged that one member of Arteta’s squad is planning to leave the club this year.
As per indykaila News, the representatives of winger Gabriel Martinelli are planning for the player to be at a different club next term.
The Brazilian was involved in one of the biggest talking points of Thursday’s match against Liverpool, when he appeared to shove full-back Conor Bradley off the pitch while the Northern Irishman was nursing an injury.
Martinelli has been a key player for Arsenal over the past few seasons (Photo: Sportimage Ltd/Alamy)
Martinelli escaped without a sending off, but it has now emerged that the attacker is hoping to leave the capital this summer.
Having joined Arsenal from Brazilian side Ituano back in 2019, the winger has now scored 57 goals and provided 30 assists in 248 games for the London side across all competitions.
So far this season he has started just six of Arsenal’s 21 Premier League matches, though, and it is claimed that his agents are now exploring a move away from The Emirates.
Martinelli’s current contract with the Gunners is set to run until the end of next season, but it appears increasingly likely that he could depart the club this summer.