tottenham hotspur
William Vika 6/10 Nothing could be done about any of Arsenal’s goals and there was reason to lament the lack of protection from the defence. Saka’s superb save in the second half made the game respectable.
Pedro Polo 7 Against Trossard or later Martinelli, there were few holes in his defense. As Spurs chased the game, they surged forward but the crosses left a lot to be desired.
Christian Romero 8 At times, he seemed to be on a man’s mission to win the derby. Punished Raya for his sloppiness and should have earned two more points in a raucous performance.
Mickey van der Veen 7 I thought he had cleverly equalized the score, lighting up the blue touch paper, but VAR intervened. The insult added insult to injury when Havertz beat him in the air to score.
Ben Davis 5 When Arsenal’s wide player turned on the afterburner and was turned over to score the second goal, he had no reaction for Saka. At least, a late penalty was won.
Rodrigo Bentancur 6 Tried to control the midfield but increasingly became secondary to Rice and Partey. Sarr took his place at half-time.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 5 In retrospect, Postkoglu looked for a grittier edge, but his early own goal negated any benefit. The reaction was laudable but was never brought under control and was later replaced.
Dejan Kulusevski 7 Although he sometimes lacked composure in crucial moments, he was always a threat with the ball. The attack continued but failed to create an opportunity to equalize the score.
james madison 6 He never stopped plotting, but was rarely allowed to occupy the pockets where he wreaked havoc. Saw the goal early but unfortunately the ball was too high.
Timo Werner 6 Tried to attack down the left flank after a lively start but injury limited his afternoon and he was replaced by Johnson after half an hour.
Son Heung-min 6 When there was a chance to throw Spurs a lifeline before half-time, there was a problem with the bearings. Made on the spot, but too late to trigger a historic shift.
Substitute Johnson (Werner, 31) 7, Sarr (Bentancur, 45) 7, Bissouma (Hoiberg, 64) 6, Richarlison (Maddison, 64), Lo Celso ( Davis, 88).
arsenal
David Raya 6 Extraordinary mistakes breathed life into the second half when Arsenal looked as dry as home. He regained his composure during the ensuing Spurs pressure and was able to cope well.
Ben White 7 Great against tricky opponents like Werner, Johnson and later Heung-min Son. Provides support for Saka when needed, but Arsenal’s early buffer limits his attacking needs.
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William Saliba 7 A consistent combination of power, pace and composure ensured Spurs made little progress in midfield. Stay steadfast in the late stages of chaos when the owner throws the kitchen sink away.
Gabriel Magalhães 7 Throughout the game, Tottenham’s crosses were repelled continuously, and Saliba did not waver in the dying moments. Enjoy fighting against the fresh and intense threats of Deputy Richarlison.
soFukangguang 7 Forcing Hojbjerg to score a crucial own goal, he could have added another goal later. Tottenham’s wide players had their hands full but defended well one on one.
Martin Odegaard 7 It wasn’t the captain’s cleanest performance, but his pace and energy will be very important to Arsenal. seemed to have propelled them to a comfortable win before a dramatic second half.
Thomas Partey 6 The deep passing was effective at times and he was solid in the bases of a competitive midfield. Wayward in possession at times; mixed display overall.
Declan Rice 7 An elegant, controlled performance from the engine room and Havertz’s excellent set-piece assist, although Davies’ wild kicking ensured a nerve-wracking finish.
Bukayo Saka 7 He showed up to the momentous occasion in style, provoking the opener with a corner kick and giving Arsenal breathing room with his trademark inside-and-shooting twist.
Kai Havertz 8 (Man of the Match) Saka’s diagonal pass set up Arsenal’s second goal before he punished the lax marker to seal the victory. Excellent performance both technically and physically.
Leandro Trossard 6 Arsenal’s front line is the quietest and has little offensive impact. He showed several clever touches on the ball in a tight area in the visitors’ half and made his mark defensively.
Substitute Martinelli (Trossard, 63) 6, Chiviol (Odegaard, 89) 6.
