Bentancur and Danso Have North London Derby Days to Forget

Gunners Squad Ratings

David Raya Barely touched the ball as Arsenal controlled the fixture. Will be frustrated to have been caught napping by Richarlison. 6

Jurriën Timber Rarely ever puts a foot wrong and was able to attack at will. Persistence paid off in his assist for Eberechi Eze's second goal. 8

William Saliba Seldom challenged by Spurs' defensive tactics. There will be tougher challenges to come in the next few weeks without his usual defensive partner. 7

Piero Hincapié Looked assured in filling in for the Brazilian defender. Lacks the Brazilian’s physical prowess but makes up for it with technique and good judgment. 7

Riccardo Calafiori Hadn’t trained all week due to a hip issue but didn’t look off the pace. Provides Arsenal with excellent energy all over the field. 8

Martín Zubimendi Directed the game from the midfield anchor with typical authority. Luckily, his mistake in losing possession for Richarlison’s goal didn’t affect the outcome. 7

Declan Rice Could have done better with first opportunity but can never question his effort. Tottenham could not handle his powerful runs from midfield. 8

Eberechi Eze It had to be him against the team he rejected in the summer. Delivered a moment of magic to score a superb first before superb finishes for his second and third goals. 9

Bukayo Saka A few handbags with the defender in the first half before springing to life. Enjoyed celebrating the three goals almost as much as the scorer did. 8

Mikel Merino Always a eager runner filling in up front and provided a moment of quality with a sublime pass for Trossard’s strike. 8

Leandro Trossard Skillfully took his goal. Will be difficult to shift him from the left flank once the rest of Arsenal’s attacking options return. 8

Subs: Noni Madueke (for Trossard, 78) A welcome return from knee injury 7; Ethan Nwaneri (for Merino, 86) n/a; Cristhian Mosquera (for Hincapie, 86) n/a; Myles Lewis-Skelly (for Calafiori, 90) n/s

Spurs Squad Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario Two decent saves as he perfected the art of slowing play in the first half. No chance with any of the Arsenal strikes. 6

Kevin Danso Made a nervous start after being brought into a three-man defense. No surprise that he was replaced at the break. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a dependable center-back but could not handle Arsenal’s constant pressure. Added to his misery by receiving a booking that means he is now banned. 5

Micky van de Ven The quick Dutchman came to his side’s rescue on several instances. Yet he was unable to stop Arsenal once they hit their stride. 6

Djed Spence Too sluggish to respond to stop Trossard scoring and found himself under pressure. A testing occasion for the England defender. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur Spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows. Could have done far better to stop Eze from dribbling through to score his opening goal. 4

João Palhinha Put himself about in midfield but was guilty of leaving an huge space for the playmaker to exploit twice. 5

Destiny Udogie Found it difficult to handle Saka. To blame for Arsenal’s third goal and question marks remain about his defensive abilities. 5

Wilson Odobert Was hard to work out what role he had been asked to play. Couldn’t get any success out of Timber. 5

Richarlison Found it hard to make any impact in the first half. But his excellent lob at least gave Tottenham something to cling on to. 7

Mohammed Kudus Almost anonymous aside from a couple of promising early touches. Needs more service but spends too much time on the fringes. 5

Subs: Xavi Simons (for Danso, ht) Made a difference with willingness to advance with ball 6; Pape Sarr (for Odobert, 67) Added some energy 6; Randal Kolo Muani (for Bentancur, 67) Looked slow 5; Brennan Johnson (for Kudus, 78) The game was already lost 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game arguing with Rice 6.

Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Gordon

A seasoned football analyst with over a decade of experience in coaching and tactical development.