Danso and Bentancur Have North London Derby Humiliating Afternoons

Gunners Squad Performance Reviews

David Raya Rarely saw the ball as the Gunners dominated the fixture. Will be disappointed to have been caught off guard by Richarlison. 6

Jurriën Timber Seldom puts a foot wrong and was able to attack at will. Determination paid off in his key pass for 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 regular defensive partner. 7

Piero Hincapié Looked assured in deputising for Gabriel Magalhães. Doesn’t possess the Brazilian’s physical prowess but compensates with skill 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 pitch. 8

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

Declan Rice Could have done better with early chance but can never question his effort. Tottenham could not handle his marauding runs from midfield. 8

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

Bukayo Saka A few handbags with the defender 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 eager runner playing up front and provided a moment of class with a sublime pass for the left winger's goal. 8

Leandro Trossard Expertly took his goal. Will be hard to displace him from the left flank 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 perfected the art of slowing play in the first half. Little opportunity 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 replaced at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a reliable center-back but could not cope with Arsenal’s incessant 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 side’s rescue on several instances. Yet he was unable to stop Arsenal once they hit their stride. 6

Djed Spence Too sluggish 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 dribbling through to score his first. 4

João Palhinha Put himself about in midfield but was guilty of leaving an huge space for Eze to capitalise on twice. 5

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

Wilson Odobert Was difficult 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 superb lob at least gave Tottenham something to cling on to. 7

Mohammed Kudus Virtually anonymous aside from a couple of encouraging early touches. Needs more service but spends too much time on the periphery. 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 exchanging words with the midfielder 6.

Victor Campbell
Victor Campbell

A seasoned UX strategist with over a decade of experience in crafting user-centered digital solutions and mentoring design teams.