Danso and Bentancur Experience Derby Days to Forget

Arsenal Player Ratings

David Raya Barely touched the ball as the Gunners controlled the match. Is likely disappointed to have been caught off guard by Richarlison. 6

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

William Saliba Seldom challenged by Tottenham’s defensive tactics. 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 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 sluggish. Provides Arsenal with excellent energy all over the pitch. 8

Martín Zubimendi Controlled the game from the midfield anchor with usual authority. Luckily, his mistake in giving the ball away for Richarlison’s goal 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 marauding runs from midfield. 8

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

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

Mikel Merino Always a willing runner filling in 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 displace 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

Tottenham Player Ratings

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

Kevin Danso Made a shaky start after being brought into a three-man defense. Expected that he was substituted at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a reliable last line of defence but could not handle Arsenal’s incessant pressure. Completed misery by receiving a booking that means he is now banned. 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 hit their stride. 6

Djed Spence Far too slow to react to stop the winger's goal and found himself under pressure. A testing occasion for the English full-back. 5

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

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

Destiny Udogie Found it tough to handle the winger. To blame 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 play. Couldn’t get any success out of Timber. 5

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

Subs: Xavi Simons (for Danso, ht) Made a impact 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 Rice 6.

Dr. George Cochran
Dr. George Cochran

A tech journalist and AI researcher with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on society.