Danso and Bentancur Have Derby Humiliating Afternoons

Arsenal Player Ratings

David Raya Rarely saw the ball as Arsenal dominated the match. Will be frustrated to have been surprised by Richarlison. 6

Jurriën Timber Rarely ever puts a foot wrong and was able to advance at will. Determination 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 regular defensive partner. 7

Piero Hincapié Appeared confident in deputising for the Brazilian defender. Doesn’t possess the his physical prowess but compensates with skill and good decision-making. 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 field. 8

Martín Zubimendi Controlled the game from the base of midfield with usual authority. Fortunately, 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 handle 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 next two 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 goal-getter did. 8

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

Leandro Trossard Expertly took his goal. Will be difficult to displace him from the left flank once the rest of Arsenal’s forward players return. 8

Subs: Noni Madueke (for Trossard, 78) A welcome 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 Performance Reviews

Guglielmo Vicario Two decent saves as he mastered the art of timewasting in the first half. Little opportunity with any of the goals. 6

Kevin Danso Made a shaky start after being brought into a back three. No surprise that he was replaced at half-time. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a dependable center-back but could not handle Arsenal’s incessant pressure. Completed misery by picking up a booking that means he is now banned. 5

Micky van de Ven The speedy 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 Too sluggish to respond 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 far better to stop Eze from dribbling through to score his first. 4

JoĂŁo 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 tough to handle Saka. At fault 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 change 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 Virtually 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 difference with eagerness to drive forward with ball 6; Pape Sarr (for Odobert, 67) Added some drive 6; Randal Kolo Muani (for Bentancur, 67) Looked off the pace 5; Brennan Johnson (for Kudus, 78) The game was already lost 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game arguing with the midfielder 6.

Margaret Guzman
Margaret Guzman

Elara is a tech journalist and business strategist with over a decade of experience covering digital transformation and startup ecosystems across Europe.