GAB-SMACKED

Hat-trick hero Jesus fires Gunners

-  NEIL MCLEMAN

GABRIEL JESUS netted a second-half hat-trick to fire Arsenal into the Cup semi-finals.

Carabao Crystal Palace took the early lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta and deserved to be ahead at the break against a Gunners side with eight changes.

But the introductions of Martin Odegaard and then Bukayo Saka off the bench changed the game.

And Brazilian striker Jesus, who had scored only one goal in this competition this season, showed the lethal finishing missing from Arsenal recently with three clinical strikes for his first Gunners hat-trick.

He has not scored in the Premier League since January but on this form he is the striker they need in the second half of the season.