Tottenham Hotspur played out a fascinating draw at the Wembley against Arsenal. This was Spurs’ first draw of the season in the Premier League, and with this result, it is becoming more and more clear that we have a two-horse title race.
The game had some late drama and Spurs might feel happy with the point. Arsenal opened the scoring through Aaron Ramsey after he rounded off Hugo Lloris brilliantly. Spurs enjoyed a lot of possession but never threatened much. They had a clear sight at goal just before half time, but Bernd Leno stood in Eriksen and Sissoko’s way.
Spurs equalised through Harry Kane’s penalty and it was clear that the linesman made a mistake by not calling for offside. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang won a soft penalty late in the day but failed to convert from the spot. Spurs would feel that justice was done as there was minimal contact from Davinson Sanchez on Aubameyang.
Here is how Pochettino’s men fared in the North London derby.
Hugo Lloris 7.5
Guessed right to save the penalty. Made some regular saves apart from that and his distribution was decent.
Toby Alderweireld 6
Did his defensive duties alright. Came close to scoring in the second half but missed his chance.
Jan Vertonghen 8
More than Lloris’ penalty save, Vertonghen’s challenge to save the follow up from Aubameyang’s penalty was a crucial and tougher one. Worked hard and often played as an attacking left back.
Davinson Sanchez 5
Could have turned out as the villain as he gave away a late penalty. Lacazette picked his pocket to set up Ramsey for the opener. Poor outing for the Colombian.
Kieran Trippier 4.5
Poor with his deliveries from the right. Needs to improve.
Danny Rose 6
Played extremely high up the pitch and made some marauding runs. Earned a yellow card for a ball which he rightfully went for in the second half. Worked extremely hard but Pochettino would have wanted a bit more of a cutting edge.
Victor Wanyama 5.5
Couldn’t really influence much but did the basics right. Was substituted for the more attack-minded Lamela.
Moussa Sissoko 6
Missed a golden opportunity as Leno denied him. Worked hard but needed to bring more to the table in the final third.
Christian Eriksen 5.5
Should have done better after Kane played him through with a brilliant chipped pass. The Danish put on a slightly uncharacteristic display as he strayed some passes in midfield.
Son Heung Min 5
Never really got into the game as he hardly got any chance to run at Arsenal defenders. A quiet game for the Korean.
Harry Kane 6
Scored from the spot kick but was offside from the free kick where he was fouled. Dropped deep and often had to feed off scraps.
Substitute
Erik Lamela 5
Couldn’t influence much after coming on.
Fernando Llorente N/A
Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
