Danso and Bentancur Experience North London Derby Forgettable Performances

Gunners Squad Performance Reviews

David Raya Rarely saw the ball as Arsenal controlled the match. Will be frustrated to have been surprised by the Brazilian forward. 6

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

William Saliba Seldom challenged by Tottenham’s defensive approach. There will be tougher challenges to come in the next few weeks without his usual defensive partner. 7

Piero Hincapié Appeared confident in filling in for Gabriel Magalhães. Doesn’t possess the Brazilian’s physical prowess but makes up for it with skill and good judgment. 7

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

Martín Zubimendi Controlled the game from the midfield anchor with usual authority. Luckily, his mistake in losing possession 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 cope with his powerful runs from midfield. 8

Eberechi Eze It had to be him against the club he rejected in the summer. Produced a moment of brilliance to score a brilliant first before excellent finishes for his next two 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 exquisite pass for the left winger's goal. 8

Leandro Trossard Expertly took his goal. Will be difficult to shift him from the left wing once the rest of Arsenal’s attacking options 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 decent saves as he mastered the art of slowing play in the first half. No chance with any of the goals. 6

Kevin Danso Made a nervous start after being introduced to a three-man defense. No surprise that he was replaced at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a dependable last line of defence but could not handle Arsenal’s constant pressure. Completed misery by receiving a booking that means he is now banned. 5

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

Djed Spence Far too slow 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 much more to stop the attacker from running past 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 capitalise on twice. 5

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

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

Richarlison Struggled 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 support but spends too much time on the fringes. 5

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

Grant Sparks
Grant Sparks

Maya Chen is a digital strategist and tech writer with over a decade of experience in Silicon Valley, specializing in AI integration and startup ecosystems.