A brace from Harry Kane and a Son Heung-min strike gave Tottenham a 3-0 win over Arsenal and bragging rights in the North London Derby.
Thursday’s clash was one of the most relevant North London Derbies in a long time, as both teams had plenty to lose. Tottenham came out on top as they thrashed ten-man Arsenal for the bragging rights. The win also allowed Spurs to blow open the top-four race and close the gap to the Gunners to just a point.
Arsenal started the game brightly but lacked the sharpness in the final third. Nevertheless, the clash was poised to be tense as the game progressed. But Rob Holding had other plans, as the English defender’s persistent fouling of Son Heung-min earned him two yellow cards before the 32nd minute.
Moments before Holding got sent off, Tottenham were awarded a soft penalty after Cedric Soares got adjudged to have fouled Son in the box. Harry Kane stepped up and scored from 12 yards to give his side the lead. Even though Arsenal were down to ten men, Mikel Arteta decided against bringing Ben White into the fold.
Soon enough, the Gunners found themselves 2-0 down, as Kane found plenty of space at the back post to head home from close range. Tottenham were at it again in the second half. This time, it was Son who found the opportunity to shoot beyond Aaron Ramsdale and make it 3-0. Arsenal barely had any chances as Spurs pinned them back and kept total control of proceedings.
The top four race just became super spicy ?️
Are Arsenal still in the box seat? Or will Spurs make Champions League?#PL #OptusSport pic.twitter.com/7F3QXFHCUx
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) May 13, 2022
Arsenal may have to thank Aaron Ramsdale for making saves that kept the 3-0 scoreline intact. But Tottenham ended the evening with three points and bragging rights in this edition of the NLD. As for the Gunners, they remain ahead of Spurs in the fourth spot, although they will have to win their last two matches to guarantee a top-four finish. Here are the player ratings as Tottenham defeated Arsenal 3-0 in the North London Derby.
Tottenham Hotspur
Hugo Lloris: 7/10
Lloris produced some good goalkeeping, catching everything that came his way. Barring one moment where he dropped the ball with Martin Odegaard close by, the Frenchman may not have envisaged such a comfortable North London Derby.
Davinson Sanchez: 8/10
Sanchez was considered the weak link for obvious reasons, but the Colombian slotted in well at the back and kept his composure. He was beaten by Gabriel Martinelli on multiple occasions. Overall, the defender will be happy with his display.
Tottenham's 3-0 win against Arsenal is their biggest #NLD victory in the Premier League and their largest league win against the Gunners since 1983 (5-0).
Spursy. ? pic.twitter.com/X9HZttYNe7
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 12, 2022
Eric Dier: 8/10
Dier handled the threat of Eddie Nketiah well and marshalled his backline to perfection. His organisational skills deserve admiration, as he maintained a well-drilled line to contain any pressure coming from Arsenal’s attackers.
Ben Davies: 9/10
Ben Davies produced one of his best performances in a Tottenham shirt, as he was instrumental in preventing dangerous movements inside the box. Some good decision making helped contain Arsenal’s moves, with the Welshman making some challenges and blocks to deny potential goals.
Emerson Royal: 8/10
Emerson was a quality outlet in the final third, making his runs and finding space. He skied some of his presentable shots while forcing Ramsdale into making a good save. Defensively, he was not bothered much on the evening despite occasionally finding it tough to deal with Martinelli’s work on the ball.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: 8/10
The Danish midfielder was excellent and had a field day in the central areas. Hojbjerg did concede possession more than Antonio Conte would have liked. However, his passing range was exquisite, and he made some excellent ones forwards.
Rodrigo Bentancur: 8.5/10
Bentancur took the initiative in midfield and ran the show for Tottenham. It is not to say there were not any tough battles to contest, but the Uruguayan had plenty of space, with Arsenal players pinned back after the Holding got sent off. It allowed the midfielder to be available as an outlet and provide his attackers with the ammunition.
Rodrigo Bentancur's game by numbers vs. Arsenal:
100% take-ons completed
56 passes attempted
53 passes completed
6 passes into the final ⅓
4 duels won
2 chances created
2 ball recoveries
2 tackles made
2 interceptions
2 take-ons
1 shot
1 assistNot a bad #NLD debut. pic.twitter.com/Jmsxzsb0s1
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 12, 2022
Ryan Sessegnon: 7/10
Sessegnon may have earned more chances had he found more space while operating on Arsenal’s weak wing. He was troubled by Bukayo Saka early on in the game, but when Spurs dominated the match after Arsenal went down to ten men, the wing-back should have exploited the side better.
Dejan Kulusevski: 8/10
Kulusevski used his physicality well at times to outplay Tomiyasu and win important duels on the right side. He did make some important contributions in the final third, which helped create width and brought the other forwards into the attack.
Harry Kane: 9/10
After a relatively slow start to the game, where he struggled to get any meaningful touches in the final third, Kane sprung to life with the penalty. He quickly doubled the lead with a back-post header and had an overall terrific evening, one that is expected of him against Arsenal.
Harry Kane had more shots (9) than the entire Arsenal side combined (8).
And, of course, he scored more goals. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/O4uW6BmRzH
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 12, 2022
Son Heung-min: 9/10
Son was instrumental in getting Holding sent off and winning the penalty. While both decisions were questionable, there was a bite to the South Korean’s game, who constantly troubled the Arsenal defenders. He did get the reward for the hard work by scoring the third goal, which brings him closer to Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race.
SUBSTITUTES
Steven Bergwijn: 5/10
Bergwijn came on so Conte could rest some of his attackers. While there was an opportunity to score goals, the Dutchman did not bother to trouble anyone in an Arsenal shirt.
Lucas Moura: 7/10
Moura made some telling runs to bring some threat into the attack. He should have done better and broken his goalscoring drought here.
Arsenal
Aaron Ramsdale: 5/10
There is no reason for Ramsdale to get a low rating, but this is as high as it gets. The Arsenal goalkeeper made a few saves, and one notable stop to deny Kane. Other than that, he was busier in picking the ball out of the net.
? "I feel like the big decisions went against us and then it’s an uphill battle from there."
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022
Cedric Soares: 4/10
Cedric was at the sharp end of the questionable penalty decision, as replays showed there was not much contact. However, the Portuguese international was nervy whenever coming up against Son on the wing. He needs to step up his game for the final games of the season as he will certainly start against Newcastle and face Allan Saint-Maximin.
Rob Holding: 2/10
The quick yellows were somewhat harsh, but Holding played into the referee’s mind by making persistent fouls on Son. He was warned more than once and with his rather rash decision making, he thoroughly let his team down.
Rob Holding committed four fouls in the first half, as many as the rest of the Arsenal team combined and more than the entire Spurs side (3).
Head loss. pic.twitter.com/VY2NcMHpsl
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 12, 2022
Gabriel Magalhaes: 5/10
Gabriel defended well and was put under tremendous pressure due to Holding’s dismissal. Due to the flowing Tottenham attacks, he was naturally on the edge and yet should be credited for an energetic display. The sight of the Brazilian holding his thigh while going down will worry Arsenal fans, and he could be an absentee against Newcastle.
Takehiro Tomiyasu: 5/10
There were some good battles on his wing with Kulusevski, but Tomiyasu was not at his best. After he switched to the right side following the team going a man down, he was sometimes overwhelmed by the overlapping attackers on the wing and was left without much support.
Mohamed Elneny: 6/10
Elneny was a calming presence in midfield despite the chaos brewing around him. Yet, he did not contest much to win midfield battles and was more concerned with defending than playing anything forwards. He was resigned to making safe passes rather than some of the progressive ones he executed in the games prior to this one.
Mikel Arteta reflects on a frustrating night in north London ?#TOTARS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 12, 2022
Granit Xhaka: 5/10
Xhaka’s performance may have been labelled nervy, but the midfielder was under tremendous pressure after Holding’s departure, as he slotted in at the back for the rest of the game. Irrespective of his experience in the backline, he is a midfielder by trade and had to deal with protecting the left flank, central area and defence, which may have been overwhelming for any other player.
Martin Odegaard: 5.5/10
Despite the problems the team faced on the pitch, Odegaard was Arsenal’s attacking hub, trying to build up play and create things for his teammates. Like the others, he, too, was under pressure and had a few good chances, where he should have done better.
Bukayo Saka: 6/10
A gruelling performance from Saka, who had to cover more ground in order to restore some parity in different areas. Holding’s departure affected his display, as the winger could barely assert himself in the final third. He did cause few problems for Sessegnon early on, but when the pressure was reversed, it was his chance to deal with the wing-back.
Eddie Nketiah: 4/10
Not his night, but again, like many others, it was not his fault. There is no doubting Nketiah’s intention and hard work, as the forward initially troubled Sanchez and Dier with his movements. He did lose a few important balls after regaining possession, and it will be an area he needs to work on before the Newcastle clash.
Gabriel Martinelli: 6/10
He was Arsenal’s brightest player on a miserable evening. Martinelli caused plenty of problems for Emerson and Sanchez down his flank. Arteta took him off to keep him fresh for the next clash, as the manager had already given up on the game.
SUBSTITUTES
Emile Smith Rowe: 5/10
Smith Rowe came on to gain more control of the ball, and the attacker did a decent job after coming on.
Alexandre Lacazette: 5/10
Lacazette barely had an impact after coming on.
Nuno Tavares: 5/10
Tavares added a spark after coming on, and Tottenham found it difficult in dealing with his pace. He will be called into action against Newcastle United, as Arsenal suddenly have a crisis at the back.
