Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Player Ratings
Arsenal came from behind to claim a point against fierce North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in an evenly contested tie at the Emirates stadium. The visitors started off slowly but managed to gain the lead with a beautiful finish from prolific English international Harry Kane.
Tottenham looked more threatening of the two sides after an attacking first forty-five minutes. The second half saw the hosts surging forward in search of an equalizer, which they eventually found in an unlikely source in the form of substitute Kieran Gibbs.
The rejuvenated Gunners tried to push for a victory, but Spurs did enough to extend their undefeated streak to eleven in the league. With Manchester City failing to pick up more than a point at Villa Park earlier in the day, Arsenal continue to remain separated only in terms of goal difference at the top of the Premier League table.
Here are the ratings for the players involved in this feisty London derby.
Arsenal:
Petr Cech- 6.5/10
Despite being unable to stop Harry Kane from scoring, Petr Cech looked comfortable in goal. He was relatively busy during the second period of the match keeping the likes of Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld at bay with some vital saves. The 33-year old goalkeeper also showed a keen eye for his team-mates shrewdly picking out Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez with delightful long-range passes. His confusion with Per Mertesacker in the second half nearly let Spurs through on goal, but on a whole the experienced goalkeeper had a decent game.
Mathieu Debuchy- 5/10
Playing in place of the injured Hector Bellerin, Debuchy had a great chance to cement his place in the team after an injury-marred affair with Arsenal. The Frenchman had a good game in patches making some vital tackles with Spurs in top gear but overall delivered an average performance. The 30-year old was also unable throw himself forward as he was busy dealing with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Danny Rose on the flanks.
Per Mertesacker- 6/10
Arsenal's captain for the day, Per Mertesacker had a sound game defensively. The German international averted any danger in the box with some good positioning and general awareness. Mertesacker, however, was caught napping defending a corner in the second half that gave Toby Alderweireld a free header, who almost doubled the lead for the visitors. The tall defender was not shy going forward as he popped up in the opponent box as an attacking target during set-pieces.
Laurent Koscielny- 5/10
Koscielny was declared fit after a late fitness test before the game, much to the delight of Arsene Wenger. However, the French centre-half did not have the best of games after his return from injury. Koscielny failed to spot the run of Eric Dier early on in the game, which left him unmarked on the far post and nearly opened the scoring for Spurs. He unsuccessfully tried to play Harry Kane offside, leading the Spurs forward through on goal, who then found the back of the net.
Nacho Monreal- 5.5/10
The Spaniard had a competitive game on the left as he had to adopt an extremely cautious approach against his high-flying visitors. Monreal, especially, had a tough time dealing with the fast-paced Kyle Walker, who made some surging runs down the flank. The 29-year old never really got the chance to go forward as freely as he does, but defensively he did a fair job.
Francis Coquelin- 7/10
Coquelin put in a sterling effort as the holding midfielder providing a good cover to his defense over the majority of the game. The 24-year old midfielder broke up play cleanly and made some important interceptions to keep a confident Spurs side from doubling their lead in the second half.
Santi Cazorla- 4/10
Cazorla had a game to forget as he looked a shadow of his usual self. The 30-year old gave away balls cheaply and was unable to deal with a confident Tottenham side in the center of the pitch. It was not surprising that the talented Spaniard took no further part in the game after half-time.
Joel Campbell- 6/10
Campbell was rewarded with another start by Arsene Wenger and the Costa Rican did not disappoint. He gave Arsenal that extra bit of pace and zing down the right-hand side though he never got much in return for his tremendous effort. He forced a great save off Lloris early in the second half as Arsenal bombarded the Tottenham box in search of an equalizer.
Mesut Ozil- 8/10
Mesut Ozil is probably in the form of his life and this game clearly emphasized that notion. The German international was absolutely sublime during the entirety of the match, picking out his team-mates with ultimate precision. It was his deliciously whipped in ball that was put in by Kieran Gibbs that enabled Arsenal to eke out a point from the game. Often criticized for his work-rate, Ozil put in a staggering effort and was clearly Arsenal's best player on the pitch.
Alexis Sanchez- 6.5/10
The Chilean international was actively involved in the game, producing some fine runs as well as picking out team-mates with ease. With Arsenal pushing hard for an equalizer, Sanchez toiled away on the flanks and produced a masterful effort over the course of the game.
Olivier Giroud- 7/10
The Frenchman looked the most likely player on the pitch to score, getting as many as three clear cut chances to find the back of the net. Giroud, however, was unable to add to his tally after a fine week. The 29-year old showed great commitment and tremendous hunger for ever ball that was put in the box. He won almost all of his aerial duals, though his passing abilities eluded him at times during the course of the game. He was involved in a fiery battle with Jan Vertonghen throughout the game, though it led to no serious implications.
Substitutes:
Mathieu Flamini- 4/10
The experienced Frenchman was brought in at half-time to replace an off color Santi Cazorla but ended up giving an average performance himself. Flamini did not look comfortable helping out his defenders neither was he a threat going forward.
Kieran Gibbs- 7/10
With a mounting injury list, Arsene Wenger was forced to deploy Gibbs further forward on the left than his usual left-back position. He redeemed the faith shown by his manager by netting the crucial equalizer getting on the end of a beautiful Mesut Ozil delivery.
Mikel Arteta- 5/10
With Arsenal having found the equalizer, Mikel Arteta was thrown into the game in order to help Arsenal gain all three points. However, the 33-year old Spaniard never really could make much impact in his limited time on the field.