Danso and Bentancur Have North London Derby Humiliating Afternoons

Arsenal Player Ratings

David Raya Barely touched the ball as the Gunners commanded the fixture. Will be frustrated to have been caught napping by Richarlison. 6

Jurriën Timber Rarely ever 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 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 deputising for the Brazilian defender. Lacks the his physical prowess but compensates with skill and good judgment. 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 Directed the game from the base of midfield with usual authority. Luckily, his mistake in giving the ball away for the consolation strike didn’t affect the result. 7

Declan Rice Should have done better with early chance but can never question his effort. Tottenham could not cope with his powerful runs from deep. 8

Eberechi Eze It had to be him against the team he rejected 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. Loved celebrating the three goals almost as much as the scorer did. 8

Mikel Merino Always a willing runner filling in up front and provided a moment of quality with a sublime pass for Trossard’s strike. 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. Expected that he was substituted at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a dependable last line of defence but could not cope with Arsenal’s constant pressure. Added to his 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 more than one occasion. Yet he was powerless to stop Arsenal once they found their rhythm. 6

Djed Spence Far too slow to respond to stop Trossard scoring and found himself pinned back. A difficult occasion for the English full-back. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur Spent most of the afternoon chasing shadows. Could have done much more to stop the attacker from running past to score his first. 4

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

Destiny Udogie Found it tough 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 position he had been asked to fulfil. Couldn’t get any success out of Timber. 5

Richarlison Found it hard to make any influence in the first half. But his superb lob at least gave Tottenham something to cling on to. 7

Mohammed Kudus Almost anonymous aside from a couple of encouraging early touches. Needs more service but spends too much time on the fringes. 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 over 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game arguing with the midfielder 6.

Ryan Mack
Ryan Mack

A tech journalist and digital anthropologist focusing on the societal impacts of emerging technologies and online communities.