Danso and Bentancur Experience North London Derby Days to Forget

Arsenal Player Performance Reviews

David Raya Rarely saw the ball as Arsenal commanded the game. Will be disappointed to have been caught off guard by the Brazilian forward. 6

Jurriën Timber Rarely ever puts a foot wrong and was able to push forward at will. Persistence paid off in his key pass for Eze’s second goal. 8

William Saliba Rarely tested by Tottenham’s defensive approach. There will be bigger tests to come in the next few weeks without his usual defensive partner. 7

Piero Hincapié Appeared confident in deputising for Gabriel Magalhães. Lacks the Brazilian’s physical prowess but compensates with technique and good judgment. 7

Riccardo Calafiori Didn't practice all week due to a hip problem but didn’t look off the pace. Provides Arsenal with excellent energy all over the field. 8

Martín Zubimendi Directed the game from the base of midfield with usual authority. Luckily, his mistake in giving the ball away for the consolation strike didn’t affect the result. 7

Declan Rice Should have done better with first opportunity but can never fault his work rate. 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 brilliant first before superb finishes for his next two goals. 9

Bukayo Saka A few handbags with Udogie in the first half before coming alive. Loved celebrating Eze’s hat-trick almost as much as the scorer did. 8

Mikel Merino Always a eager runner playing up front and provided a moment of class with a exquisite pass for the left winger's goal. 8

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

Subs: Noni Madueke (for Trossard, 78) A positive return from injury layoff 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 good saves as he mastered the art of timewasting in the first half. Little opportunity with any of the Arsenal strikes. 6

Kevin Danso Made a nervous start after being brought into a back three. No surprise that he was replaced at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a reliable last line of defence but could not handle Arsenal’s constant pressure. Added to his misery by receiving a booking that means he is now suspended. 5

Micky van de Ven The quick Dutchman came to his team's rescue on several instances. Yet he was powerless to stop Arsenal once they found their rhythm. 6

Djed Spence Too sluggish to respond to stop the winger's goal and found himself pinned back. A testing occasion for the England defender. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur Spent most of the afternoon struggling to keep up. Could have done far better to stop Eze from running past to score his opening goal. 4

João Palhinha Put himself about in the center but was at fault of leaving an huge space for Eze to exploit twice. 5

Destiny Udogie Found it tough to handle the winger. At fault for Arsenal’s third and doubts remain about his defensive abilities. 5

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

Richarlison Struggled to make any impact in the first half. But his superb lob at least gave Tottenham something to cling on to. 7

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

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

Charles Shields
Charles Shields

A software engineer and retro computing enthusiast with over 15 years of experience restoring vintage computers and documenting tech history.