Arsenal’s drip in form continues as they fell to an important 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in this year’s first north London derby. The Gunners dominated the game in terms of possession and even broke the deadlock through a wondergoal from Alexandre Lacazette. However, a defensive error from the defence led to the equaliser from Son Heung-Min before Spurs sealed all three points through a late goal from Toby Alderweireld.
Arsenal Player Ratings Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Emiliano Martinez 7/10
Emiliano Martinez did get a finger to Ben Davies’ incredible effort from long-range in the first half while also claiming the ball during a counter-attack, in the second half. The Argentine couldn’t have done anything to save the two goals, however.
Shkodran Mustafi 2/10
It was arguably the most awful performance from Shkodran Mustafi this year. The German looked shaky at the back right from the start and struggled to cope with Tottenham’s high intensity as he often got caught out of possession.
David Luiz 4/10
David Luiz may not have been at fault for the first goal, but the Brazilian was completely overwhelmed by the Tottenham pressure, especially after the Lilywhites scored the second goal.
Sead Kolasinac 1/10
Sead Kolasinac’s lapse of concentration saw him misplace a pass to Luiz, shortly after Lacazette’s opener. The defensive error led to the all-important equaliser from Son. The Bosnian didn’t improve either, often appearing sloppy at the back. He isn’t a fit in the three-man defensive system.
Hector Bellerin 6.5/10
Hector Bellerin showed glimpses of excellent determination that saw him unsettle the Spurs defence more than once. But with Mustafi caught lacking, the Spaniard should perhaps have tried to provide better defensive cover.
Granit Xhaka 7/10
Granit Xhaka had a rather comfortable evening. He looked efficient and smooth with the ball at his feet and even moved forward unconditionally, at times. Wasn’t helped by a poor performance from the backline, though.
Dani Ceballos 8/10
Dani Ceballos was by far Arsenal’s most influential player on the pitch. The Spaniard often rendered the quality of former Arsenal man Tomas Rosicky with his effortless passing and brilliant ability to carry the ball. Indeed, Ceballos played a crucial role in instigating a couple of excellent chances for the Gunners, although he did look drained during the late stages of the game.
Kieran Tierney 5/10
Kieran Tierney had a disappointing evening against Tottenham Hotspur. First of all, the Scot did not enjoy much freedom on the flanks due to Arsenal’s ability to completely outclass their opposition and dominate the game. But more importantly, his poor marking on Alderweireld led to the winner as he was utterly defeated in the air.
Nicolas Pepe 6/10
Nicolas Pepe initially had a slow start to the game. But midway through the first half, the Ivorian started to impose his presence on the pitch, often looking to make something happen with his smart football and a vicious left foot, to no avail, however, as Spurs remained strong.
Alexandre Lacazette 7.5/10
Lacazette has been in fine form since the restart, showing great determination and tenacity. Those qualities were visible in his first-half performance as he pulled out a magnificent strike to open the scoring. He was also hungry to receive the ball and play little one-twos with his teammates.
However, Lacazette was afforded very little space in the second half even though Arsenal did dominate possession.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 7/10
Pierre-Emecking Aubameyang was barely involved in the first stage of the game. He did even become the focal point of the Arsenal attack and was perhaps unfortunate to not score one of his attempts, which hit the bar. Did miss a glaring opportunity in the first half though.
SUBSTITUTES
Bukayo Saka 6/10
Bukayo Saka hoped to make an impact after replacing Pepe in the 70th minute. He did even show early glimpses of his talents, combining well with Lacazette and Ceballos, which eventually faded once Arsenal players started to make individual mistakes.
Joe Willock N/A
Replaced Tierney shortly after the Alderweireld goal in what was a desperate attempt from Mikel Arteta to restore parity. But it was too little too late as the youngster had very little time to impact the game. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Cedric Soares N/A
Came on for the tiring Bellerin in a like for like substitution. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Reiss Nelson N/A
An 84th-minute replacement for Kolasinac.
