Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham – Player Ratings: Who Struggled and Who Was Key for Mikel Arteta?
Arsenal secured an important 2-1 victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby on Wednesday night, with both teams showing strong moments but Arsenal ultimately gaining control.
The match began with Arsenal applying intense pressure, particularly targeting Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during set-pieces, an area where the Gunners have excelled this season.
Despite dominating the opening 20 minutes, Spurs took the lead through Son Heung-min, who capitalized on a deflection. Before that, Spurs had two chances through Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, but neither could find the net.
However, Arsenal quickly responded. Just five minutes before halftime, Gabriel scored from a well-executed set-piece, benefiting from a slight deflection off Solanke.
Although Pedro Porro contested the corner decision, the referee upheld it. Moments later, Arsenal took the lead as Leandro Trossard’s fierce shot found the net, with Kinsky unable to prevent it despite a solid attempt. The first half ended 2-1 in favor of the Gunners.
In the second half, Spurs made two attacking changes, bringing on Brennan Johnson and James Maddison to replace defensive midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr.
These changes had an immediate effect, making Spurs more dangerous, but Arsenal continued to control much of the match. Kinsky made a double save to redeem himself, but the score remained 2-1, securing all three points for Arsenal.
Arsenal Player Ratings
- GK: David Raya – 6.5/10
A quiet night for Raya, with little chance to stop Son’s deflected goal. He made a single save in the first half but was otherwise untested. - RB: Jurrien Timber – 7/10
Solid defensively, Timber contained Son well and showed calmness in possession. - CB: William Saliba – 7.5/10
Confident in defense, Saliba handled Solanke well and was a steady presence throughout. - CB: Gabriel – 8/10
A key figure in defense, Gabriel made important tackles and neutralized Solanke’s threat. - LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7.5/10
The young fullback continued to impress, remaining composed and showing maturity on the ball. - CM: Thomas Partey – 6.5/10
Reliable but sometimes slowed the pace of play in midfield. - CM: Declan Rice – 8.5/10
Dominated set-pieces, creating consistent problems for the Spurs defense. He also controlled the midfield and made attacking runs. - CM: Martin Ødegaard – 7.5/10
A solid performance, Ødegaard controlled the game at times and was crucial to Arsenal’s success in possession. - RW: Raheem Sterling – 6/10
Sterling struggled to make an impact and was substituted after 60 minutes. - ST: Kai Havertz – 6/10
Havertz had a quiet game and was unable to influence the attack effectively. - LW: Leandro Trossard – 8/10
Scored a crucial goal and caused problems for Spurs with his movement and pace.
Substitutes
- Gabriel Martinelli – 7/10
Added energy and threat down the wing after coming on. - Kieran Tierney – N/A
No significant contribution after entering. - Oleksandr Zinchenko – N/A
Didn’t make a notable impact. - Mikel Merino – N/A
Had little involvement after his introduction.
