Danso and Bentancur Endure North London Derby Days to Forget

Arsenal Player Performance Reviews

David Raya Hardly handled the ball as the Gunners dominated the match. Will be disappointed to have been caught napping by the Brazilian forward. 6

Jurriën Timber Seldom puts a foot wrong and was able to advance at will. Determination paid off in his key pass for Eze’s second goal. 8

William Saliba Rarely tested by Spurs' 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 filling in for Gabriel Magalhães. Doesn’t possess the Brazilian’s physical prowess but makes up for it with skill and good decision-making. 7

Riccardo Calafiori Hadn’t trained 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 typical authority. Luckily, his mistake in losing possession for Richarlison’s goal didn’t affect the result. 7

Declan Rice Should have done better with first opportunity but can never fault his effort. Tottenham could not cope with his powerful runs from midfield. 8

Eberechi Eze It had to be him against the team he turned down in the summer. Produced a moment of brilliance to score a superb first before excellent finishes for his next two goals. 9

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

Mikel Merino Always a willing runner playing up front and provided a moment of class with a sublime pass for Trossard’s strike. 8

Leandro Trossard Skillfully took his goal. Will be hard to shift him from the left wing 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 good saves as he perfected the art of timewasting in the first half. No chance with any of the Arsenal strikes. 6

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

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

Micky van de Ven The quick Dutchman came to his side’s rescue on more than one occasion. Yet he was unable to stop Arsenal once they found their rhythm. 6

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

Rodrigo Bentancur Spent most of the afternoon struggling to keep up. Could have done far better to stop the attacker from dribbling through to score his first. 4

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

Destiny Udogie Found it difficult to contain the winger. At fault for Arsenal’s third goal and doubts remain about his defending. 5

Wilson Odobert Was hard to work out what position 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 take pride in. 7

Mohammed Kudus Almost anonymous aside from a couple of encouraging early moments. Needs more service but spends too much time on the periphery. 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 slow 5; Brennan Johnson (for Kudus, 78) The game was already over 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game exchanging words with the midfielder 6.

Peggy Williams
Peggy Williams

An avid hiker and nature enthusiast with years of experience exploring trails around the world.