Bentancur and Danso Have Derby Forgettable Performances

Arsenal Player Ratings

David Raya Barely touched the ball as the Gunners dominated the fixture. Is likely disappointed to have been surprised by Richarlison. 6

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

William Saliba Rarely tested by Spurs' defensive approach. 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 Gabriel Magalhães. Lacks the his physical prowess but compensates with skill and good decision-making. 7

Riccardo Calafiori Hadn’t trained all week due to a hip issue but didn’t look off the pace. 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 giving the ball away for the consolation strike didn’t affect the outcome. 7

Declan Rice Could have done better with first opportunity but can never fault his effort. Tottenham could not cope with his marauding runs from deep. 8

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

Bukayo Saka A few exchanges with the defender in the first half before coming alive. Enjoyed celebrating the three goals almost as much as the goal-getter did. 8

Mikel Merino Always a willing runner playing up front and provided a moment of quality with a sublime pass for the left winger's goal. 8

Leandro Trossard Skillfully took his goal. Will be difficult 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 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 Performance Reviews

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

Kevin Danso Made a shaky start after being introduced to a three-man defense. No surprise that he was substituted at the break. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a reliable last line of defence but could not cope with 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 team's rescue on more than one occasion. Yet he was unable to stop Arsenal once they found their rhythm. 6

Djed Spence Far too slow to react to stop Trossard scoring 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 midfield but was at fault of leaving an huge space for Eze to exploit twice. 5

Destiny Udogie Found it difficult to handle Saka. To blame for Arsenal’s third 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 Struggled to make any influence 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 encouraging early moments. Needs more service but spends too much time on the fringes. 5

Subs: Xavi Simons (for Danso, ht) Made a impact with willingness 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 lost 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game exchanging words with the midfielder 6.

Curtis Hart
Curtis Hart

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in software development and innovation consulting.