Tottenham Hotspur were lucky to get away with a point as they drew 2-2 with arch-rivals Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season this afternoon.
The Lilywhites were pegged back by early Arsenal pressure. But, out of nowhere, they went in front through Christian Eriksen, largely due to some shoddy work from the opposing defenders. The visitors doubled their lead in the 40th minute after Son Heung-Min won a penalty. Harry Kane converted the spot-kick. But, Arsenal dug deep and pulled one back at the dying embers of the first half through Alexandre Lacazette.
The late goal gave the Gunners confidence as they came out all guns blazing in the second half. Tottenham looked disjointed at the back and the hosts took full advantage of that. It was only a matter of time until Arsenal equalised through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. They had several opportunities to get in front as well but Spurs somehow held on.
Here is how Mauricio Pochettino’s men fared in their draw with Arsenal.
Hugo Lloris 8.5
Made a string of excellent saves to keep his side in the contest, especially in the second half. The Frenchman is indeed a key part of the Spurs setup, and the scoreline could have been much more different without him.
Davinson Sanchez 4
Struggled throughout the ninety minutes in the right-back role, often failing to keep up with the pace of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Colombian international was also sloppy with the ball at his feet, giving Arsenal more encouragement to push forward. A horrendous performance from the defender.
Toby Alderweireld 6
Started the game on a positive note but drifted off as soon as the opposition piled on more pressure. The Belgian should have dealt with Lacazette more competently.
Jan Vertonghen 5
It was always a risk starting with Jan Vertonghen, who was playing his first game of the season. And it certainly it was a risk that didn’t pay off for Pochettino as the experienced defender failed to show character.
Danny Rose 5
Struggled to get forward and provide the extensive attacking support. He was entirely rattled by Nicolas Pepe as the game went on. Not exactly an impressive defensive display from the English international.
Moussa Sissoko 6.5
As one would normally expect, Sissoko showcased a lot of urgency and aggression, often closing down Arsenal ball-carriers. But, somehow, he lacked the quality to make any telling difference when Spurs were in possession. The individual quality of Tanguy Ndombele was missing in this game.
Harry Winks 8
A commendable display from the youngster, who made good use of his body and showed excellent positional awareness. Also got forward on numerous occasions, helping out teammates in the final third. He looked a little overwhelmed in the second-half, but that would understandable given his lack of experience.
Erik Lamela 7
Made some intelligent movements in the first-half, notably running in behind the defence to open up the Arsenal backline. His show also tested Bernd Leno and fortunately for him, Eriksen was there to make it 1-0. However, the Argentine was almost non-existent in the second half before getting replaced around the hour mark.
Son Heung-Min 7
Showed tremendous understanding to link up with the likes of Eriksen and Kane, especially in the first half. The South Korean international really thrives in a free-flowing role as he has made use of his positional sense to make himself a passing option for Spurs’ ball-carriers. He was also aware of his own passing options, which helped create numerous scoring opportunities.
Christian Eriksen 8
Not a bad performance from the Dane, who scored the all-important opener by tapping in Lamela’s effort that was saved by Leno. Linked exceptionally well with his teammates and but most importantly, showed a willingness to close down opponents.
Harry Kane 7
Kane’s seemingly telepathic understanding with Son and Eriksen rattled the Arsenal defence more than once. Also scored the second goal through an excellent, well-taken penalty. But, he could have been more effective, shielding the ball.
SUBSTITUTES
Dele Alli 7
Made his return to full fitness by replacing Lamela in the 60th minute. He was rattled by Arsenal’s high press and should have been much more composed on the ball.
Giovani Lo Celso N/A
A late replacement for Son, who pulled out a few cool tricks. But, he had very little time to make any significant impact.
