Gabriel Martinelli announced himself in stunning fashion at Al-Hilal, scoring a remarkable hat-trick during a crushing 6-0 Saudi Pro League victory over Al-Taawoun.
The Brazilian forward completed his treble inside just 32 minutes of action, all coming on only his third appearance for the Saudi club since leaving Arsenal.
Martinelli had endured a wait for his first goals after departing Arsenal late in the summer transfer window, but that drought came to a very emphatic end on Saturday.
It was Ollie Watkins who opened the scoring for Al-Hilal before Martinelli got himself on the scoresheet with a sharp finish in the 18th minute.
The former Arsenal man reacted quickest inside the area, controlling a loose ball before finishing low and cleanly into the corner to register his first goal for the club.
His second arrived just before the break in the 43rd minute, with Watkins again playing a central role by supplying the decisive pass for Martinelli to run onto.
Martinelli received the ball, sat a defender on his arse, and converted from close range to send Al-Hilal into half-time firmly in control of the contest.
The hat-trick was completed just five minutes into the second half, as Martinelli turned in a low delivery from Crysencio Summerville from about a yard out.
Having bagged three goals in such a short period, Martinelli was withdrawn from the action in the 55th minute, his job for the evening thoroughly complete.
Watkins added his second goal of the match in the 53rd minute, helping himself to a fine evening’s work alongside his Brazilian teammate in attack.
Sultan Mandesh then rounded off a dominant team performance by completing the scoring in the 75th minute to confirm a comprehensive 6-0 victory.
It was also the second senior hat-trick of Martinelli’s career, with his first coming in Arsenal’s 4-1 FA Cup victory over Portsmouth earlier in the year.
