Arsenal returned to form in the Premier League with a thrashing of Tottenham, with Eberechi Eze and Victor Gökeres producing impressive performances in the north London derby.
Ebelesi Eze inflicts more pain on Tottenham as Arsenal win the North London derby (Image: Arsenal FC, Getty Images)
Arsenal won a crucial north London derby to regain authority and composure in the race for the Premier League title. It wasn’t easy. Not by any means, but these three points are among the most important of the campaign so far.
Eberechi Eze gave the Gunners the advantage after some great work from Bukayo Saka down the right. However, Declan Rice gave the ball away to Randall Kolo Muani near the area and he made no mistake, beating Raya with a low strike.
That’s how the first half ended, leaving the Gunners wondering once again how they had let their advantage slip away and how they could have failed to make more of their advantage as well. That changed at the beginning of the second half, with Víctor Goqueres curling around Guglielmo Vicario.
Then a lucky deflection from Joao Parinha fell at his feet and into the empty net, and thanks to another goal from Eze, the game was decided. Gokeres scored his fourth goal before the end of the match, with an assist from Martin Odegaard. Here’s how football.london rated Arsenal’s stars’ performances.
read more: Eberechi Eze’s awkward moment on Sky Sports after Arsenal beat Tottenham: ‘It’s not simple’read more: As the title battle intensifies, a comparison of the next five Premier League games between Arsenal and Man City
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david raya
He effectively read a deflected ball that almost fell into Conor Gallagher’s run. He was helpless against the goal after Rice’s mistake, but otherwise handled the ball well, collecting a cross and saving a shot from Xavi Simmons. Then, in the dying moments, he made an incredible clawing dive backwards to stop Richarlison from finding the back of the net. 9.
julian timber
He was booked for a wayward pass in the first half and then ironically had to beat Sarr at half-time. It was a great pass into the box to put Gokeres up for the Gunners’ second goal. Considering he wasn’t fully fit, it’s understandable that he put in an exceptional performance in this match. 8.
William Saliba
Following an initial set-piece routine, a great heading opportunity went wide early on. But he also showed many positive examples of confidence, staying firm throughout, keeping his composure, controlling his touches into space beyond his markers and identifying good passes. 9.
Arsenal’s win puts the title back on track (Image: Getty Images)
Gabriel
He was involved in a fistfight with Randall Kolo Muani throughout the match but won, and the Frenchman thought he had scored a goal, but referee Peter Banks gave him a run for his money when he whistled for a foul. 8.
Clown Hincapie
It was a great cross pass that put Saka in the middle and he should have converted from there. Dragusin’s throw spilled out into a harmless goal kick, needlessly conceding a corner kick. But in the end, he showed up with his head held high, defended very well and remained calm in a very emotional matchup. 8.
Martin Zvimendi
Although he has come under some criticism in recent weeks, he has rediscovered his best form at a couldn’t have come at a better time. Great for transitions between metronomics. 8.
Declan Rice
It was a terrible mistake that resulted in an equalizing goal out of thin air, just after Spurs had called for composure after scoring the first goal. He bounced back from that nightmarish first half and worked extremely hard in the second period, making up for his mistakes with some great interceptions. 6.
Declan Rice made a rare mistake that allowed Tottenham to equalize.
Eberechi Eze
His other goal against Tottenham came with a waist-high finish from the ball, with his foot well placed over the ball. The team had a chance to score the third goal. In space on the left, where many would like to see him start, he cut inside, but his shot was blocked. His second one was a bit lucky, but he doesn’t care one bit and his pass to Saka in the build-up deserves some credit as it should have been converted. 9.
Bukayo Saka
Hincapie’s goal should have made it 2-1 for the Gunners as he scored the opening goal with a driving run and cross. He was also involved in Arsenal’s third goal, his shot deflected away by Eze. Overall a great performance from the newly refurbished Arsenal talisman. 9
Victor Gokeres
He scored the first shot of the match, but his header was blocked by Dragusin from threatening the goal. He then had a chance to cut in from the left side and take a shot, but it went wide. Early in the second half, he scored with one touch down the middle, giving Vicario no chance. Then, just before the final whistle, Odegaard located him and scored his second goal. 9.
Victor Gokeres gives his best performance in an Arsenal shirt
Leandro Trossard
He took a shot across goal from right to left that should have gone on target, but there was a similar chance from the other side in the second half. It wasn’t the Belgian’s best performance, but it was good enough. 6.
sub
Cristian Mosquera
Julian Timber played in the unconventional position of right-back and put in a fantastic performance in his first away North London derby. 7.
Gabriel Martinelli
He replaced Leandro Trossard. Utilizing the left channel, he contributed to reinforcing the left side. 6.
Martin Odegaard
He replaced Eberechi Eze. At the death he sent a pass through to the Swedish striker to score the Gunners’ fourth goal. 7.
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