Even in the latest edition of the North London derby, it was an honor on Sunday when Arsenal and Tottenham shook hands after a 2-2 draw.
After a Cristian Romero own goal gave Arsenal the lead, Son Heung-min leveled the score after good work from James Maddison to silence the Emirates.
Bukayo Saka’s penalty put the Gunners back in front, but moments later James Maddison robbed Jorginho of the ball in his own half, allowing Son to get back on the tee to score his second and level things up again.
It’s not a bad result for either side, with both outfits riding the crest of a wave after a positive start to the new season.
Mail Sports Isaan Khan is on hand to assess the players from Sunday’s match.
Son Heung-min (left) and James Maddison (right) combined twice for Tottenham to score against Arsenal
Bukayo Saka also scored for Arsenal as the England winner impressed for Mikel Arteta’s side
Managers Ange Postecoglou (left) and Arteta (right) both set up their sides for victory in an entertaining derby
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ARSENAL (4-3-3)
David Raya – 6: Quick distribution with his feet and a super save from Brennan Johnson after 38 minutes. But will be disappointed with the flutter to Pape Matar Sarr’s cross that resulted in Spurs’ first goal.
Ben White – 5.5: Largely absent from much of the game. However, his well-drilled shot from a corner hit Cristian Romero’s arm, causing VAR to award a penalty.
Willem Saliba – 6: On song in the back. Used pace to thwart two Spurs attacks in the first half, particularly one from Heung Min-son, which could have been costly.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6: Can be combined well with Saliba. He made a number of interceptions when his team was in control.
Oleksandr Zinchenko – 5.5: A good channel to break the game forward. Although he can often be found in the opposition half, his backline is under increasing pressure.
Fabio Vieira – 5.5: Had a good aerial cross put out but was often canceled out by Spurs’ physical presence. Crocheted during half time.
Declan Rice – 6.5: Looked confident in the middle of the park. His substitution at half-time, due to discomfort in his back, certainly had an impact.
Declan Rice went off injured with a back injury for Arsenal, dealing a major blow to the Gunners at half-time of the match
Home skipper Martin Odegaard showed enthusiasm in his first match since putting pen to paper on a new contract
Martin Odegaard – 7: An enthusiastic display after signing his five-year contract. Played in an advanced role, always the first to apply pressure to the opponent’s goalkeeper and backline. His pass played through Saka, resulting in the first goal.
Bukayo Saka – 8: The superlatives continue. His curling shot was deflected by Cristian Romero, after which he remained calm and scored a penalty. Gave Destiny Odogie back nightmares that will stay with him too.
Gabriel Jesus – 6.5: Had a shot on target saved after 14 minutes but should have scored after 32 minutes when he intercepted James Maddison and just beat the keeper. Lively everywhere.
Eddie Nketiah – 5.5: As always, he ran around with purpose and did not shy away from tackles or interceptions. After 17 minutes he had a great opportunity to score through the keeper’s leg. However, I would have liked more impact.
Substitutes
Kai Havertz – 5.5: Difficulty connecting the play with the attackers. Had a great chance towards the end of regular time and hit the ball over the bar.
Jorginho – 5: Came in at half-time for the injured Rice and was dispossessed by Maddison, leading to a goal. A performance he will want to forget.
Reiss Nelson – 6.5
Emile Smith Rowe – NA
Jorginho struggled after coming on for Rice and was dispossessed for Tottenham’s second goal
SPURS (4-2-3-1)
Guglielmo Vicario – 6: Two top saves from Jesus and Nketiah in the first half. Couldn’t do anything about the two goals conceded.
Pedro Porro – 6.5: Especially in the forward direction, his crosses and inside passes seemed to hinder the opponent’s back line.
Cristian Romero – 5.5: Played a role in both goals conceded. However, he will feel insulted because he couldn’t do much about the deflection on the first goal, nor the ball that hit his arm, resulting in Saka’s penalty.
Micky van de Ven – 6: I got stuck in the back due to clever positioning. A real presence, especially when dealing with Udogie’s struggles on the right flank.
Lot Udogie – 5: Had a hard time against Saka as he was running back and forth across both halves. A poor back pass to Nketiah almost led to a goal.
Detiny Udogie (left) and Cristian Romero (right) struggled, with Romero scoring an own goal and giving away a penalty
Pape Matar Sarr – 5.5: Missed a good chance after 19 minutes and was often harassed on the ball.
Yves Bissouma – 5.5: A quiet game. Found tracking back to own box, especially in the first half.
Dejan Kulusevski – 7: Telepathic understanding with Son. Made a great pass to the South Korean on 69 minutes and came back soon after to make a crucial interception. Also made Zinchenko’s forays a problem for Arsenal.
James Maddison – 8: Arsenal had to contend with this man all game long. It almost gave the Gunners their first goal when Jesus was tackled. But then he set up both of Son’s goals, including depriving Jorginho of possession. Real resilience.
Spurs will hope that Maddison’s possible injury is not serious, with Son once again shining through the middle
Son Heung-min – 8.5: Had an under-the-radar game until 40 minutes – then came alive. Both finishes exuded calmness. Whenever he had the ball, there was panic within the opposition. Star performance.
Brennan Johnson – 6: Lively at the top. Should have scored after 38 minutes with a large part of the goal to aim for on the spin move.
Substitutes
Country house Salomon – 5.5: A quiet game on the front line.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 6
Richarlison – 6
Brennan Johnson made his first start for Tottenham and looked comfortable on the left before suffering an injury
Managers
Mikel Arteta-6: Realized Vieira needed to change, but bringing in Havertz didn’t impact the game the way he would have liked. Made more difficult because Rice had to be pulled due to injury concerns.
Ange Postecoglou – 6: His team weathered the early storm to get back into the game. Somewhat strange to eliminate Son in the last 15 minutes.
Referee: Robert Jones – 7: This opportunity was handled well. Things could have easily gotten out of hand, but he showed authority in all his decisions.