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Arsenal produced a statement win over Tottenham in Saturday’s pulse-pounding North London derby, with a dominant second-half display of the Gunners taking the game away from their bitter rivals at the Emirates Stadium.
The home side raced to the lead via a stunning first curling from Thomas Partey, before Harry Kane equalized from the penalty spot to tie the game before half time.
But a goalkeeper roar from Hugo Lloris gave Gabriel Jesus the easiest tap-ins to make it 2-1, before Granit Xhaka rounded out the defeat just after the hour as Arsenal won a hard-fought grudge match 3-1 in north London.
Sportsmails SAMI MOKBEL assessed the players from both sides at the Emirates.
Arsenal won a thrilling North London derby 3-1 after a dominating performance in the second half
ARSENAL (4231)
Aaron Ramsdale – Indecision led to Tottenham’s first-half penalty, but made a crucial save to ban Richarlison early. 6.5
Ben White – Definitely push for a World Cup call-up in England. Fantastic again for the Gunners. 7.5
William Saliba – showed little nerve in his first game against Tottenham. Cool as ice in the heat of battle. Booked. 8
Gabriel Magalhaes – Cost his team a penalty with a bad decision to go to the ground to challenge Richarlison. But for the most part very good. 6.5
Gabriel Magalhaes made the mistake of conceding Harry Kane’s first-half penalty to make it 1-1
Oleksandr Zinchenko – He played in his first Derby in North London but was totally unfazed. Real quality at left back. 7
Thomas Partey – Doubt before kick-off, but didn’t play like that. Arsenal are a different team without him. Scored a brilliant goal. 8
Granit Xhaka – Lead from the front against Arsenal’s most hated rivals. Undoubtedly a leader in this Arsenal team. 8
Granit Xhaka is praised for rallying his teammates after Thomas Partey’s goal against Tottenham
Bukayo Saka – A constant threat with his speed and skill, but was just as noticeable when he went the other way. 7.5
Martin Odegaard – Always ready to accept the ball and responsibility. Some dangerous positions taken. Booked. 7
Gabriel Martinellic – His pace and directness caused Spurs all worlds of trouble. Growing in stature in an Arsenal shirt. Booked. 8
Gabriel Jesus – Electric. Given Arsenal a new dimension in attack – turning into one of the summer’s signings. 8.5
It was Gabriel Jesus who found the deficit just after the break to restore Arsenal’s lead over their rivals Tottenham
Subscribers:
Sambi (Partey 73); Tierney (Zinchenko 73); Vieira (Odegaard 80); Nketya (Jesus 80); Tomiyasu (White 89).
Not used:
Turner, Holding, Nelson, Marquinhos.
Manager:
Mikel Arteta: No one can begrudge their team to celebrate this victory. His team was breathless and brilliant. 8
TOTTENHAM (343)
Hugo Lloris – A miserable afternoon. Will be disappointed with Partey’s opener and let the ball squirm out of his grasp for Jesus’ goal. 5.5
Hugo Lloris’ blunder saw Arsenal lead 2-1 in the North London derby on Saturday
Cristian Romero – Very nice to watch, but got a scorching time due to Arsenal’s breathtaking attacking play. 6
Eric Dier – Fresh off a positive international break, the England defender could do nothing to turn the tide of Arsenal attacks. 6
Clemens Lenglet – Like a rabbit caught in the headlights and finally put out of his misery with his team trailing 3-1. 5.5
Emerson Royal – Saw a red card for a high foot on Martinelli to leave Tottenham exposed. He didn’t do much better until he was honest. Red card. 5
Emerson’s card saw Tottenham spiral into a tailspin. That’s why the fans just waited for the game to end
Rodrigo Bentancur – His performance is positive in a day to soon forget for Spurs. Nice balance between fighting spirit and quality. 7
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – The game passed him. Just couldn’t handle the dynamism of Arsenal and went chasing shadows. 6
Ivan Perisic – Was solid enough and experience was key in the first half for his team’s capitulation in the second half. 6
Richardson – Arsenal were clearly wary of his speed and strength. Won Tottenham’s penalty with his sheer persistence. 6.5
Harry Kane – Scored his 100th Premier League goal in the Emirates, but it won’t be a day the England captain will remember. 6.5
Spurs found their way back into the game thanks to Harry Kane’s penalty after Gabriel’s foul Richarlison in the penalty area
Heung-min Son – Showed some promising signs that he is approaching his best level, but opportunities were scarce for Tottenham. 6
Antonio Conte: His team suffered their first league defeat since April – and they absolutely deserved it. The Italian will be furious. 6
Subscribers:
Sanchez (Lenglet 71); Sessegnon (Perisic 71); Bissouma (Richarlison 71); Doherty (son 71); Skipp (Hojbjerg 75)
Not used:
Forster, Gil, Spence, Sarr.
Referee: Anthony Taylor: 7
Antonio Conte has quickly become a fan favorite at Tottenham since taking charge last year