Danso and Bentancur Have Derby Humiliating Afternoons

Gunners Squad Ratings

David Raya Barely touched the ball as Arsenal commanded the game. Will be frustrated to have been caught off guard by Richarlison. 6

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

William Saliba Rarely tested 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 deputising for the Brazilian defender. Doesn’t possess 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 issue but didn’t look sluggish. Provides Arsenal with excellent energy all over the pitch. 8

Martín Zubimendi Directed the game from the base of midfield with usual authority. Fortunately, his mistake in losing possession for Richarlison’s goal didn’t affect the result. 7

Declan Rice Should have done better with first opportunity 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 team he rejected in the summer. Produced a moment of brilliance to score a brilliant first before superb finishes for his next two goals. 9

Bukayo Saka A few handbags with Udogie in the first half before springing to life. Enjoyed 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 exquisite pass for the left winger's goal. 8

Leandro Trossard Skillfully 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 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

Tottenham Player 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 the break. 5

Cristian Romero Usually a dependable center-back but could not handle Arsenal’s constant pressure. Completed misery by receiving a booking that means he is now suspended. 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 found their rhythm. 6

Djed Spence Too sluggish to react to stop the winger's goal and found himself under pressure. 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

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

Destiny Udogie Found it difficult to handle Saka. At fault for Arsenal’s third goal and question marks remain about his defending. 5

Wilson Odobert Was difficult to work out what role he had been asked to fulfil. 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 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 eagerness 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 over 6; Pedro Porro (for Spence, 78) Ended game arguing with the midfielder 6.

Scott Best
Scott Best

A geospatial analyst with over a decade of experience in terrain modeling and environmental data visualization.