Tottenham 3-0 Arsenal: Player Ratings as goals from Kane and Son put 10-man Gunners to the sword in crucial game | Premier League 2021-22
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Arsenal comfortably with a 3-0 scoreline in the Premier League on Thursday, May 12. The result saw them close the gap to the fourth-placed Gunners down to just one point with two matchdays yet to come.
Spurs began the game in a tough and combative fashion. They were unlucky to be without Cristian Romero for this game, who was excellent in their last outing against Liverpool. Davinson Sanchez made a shaky start in his place but soon found his rhythm. Arsenal looked more composed on the ball initially but had nothing to show for their possession.
Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka did well to advance the ball for the Gunners, but Tottenham's defense dealt with them. Heung-min Son looked menacing as he caused Arsenal's defense all sorts of issues. He earned a penalty for his side after Cedric pushed him from behind. Harry Kane stepped up to score from the side and put his side 1-0 up in the 22nd minute.
Rob Holding soon made things worse for the visitors. He received two yellow cards within a span of seven minutes. His second foul was cynical as he swung an arm at Son and was instantly shown his second yellow, just after the half-hour mark. Coincidentally, all four of his fouls were on Heung-min Son.
33 - Rob Holding's dismissal after 33 minutes is the earliest in a North London derby in the Premier League since November 2012, when Emmanuel Adebayor was sent off for Spurs in the 18th minute. Red. https://t.co/YUsrvOLAAp
15 minutes after the first goal, Kane scored again to make it 2-0 after being left unmarked at the far post by Eddie Nketiah. Rodrigo Bentancur provided the assist with a sweet cross which was tucked in to send Tottenham's fans into raptures. Antonio Conte was ecstatic on the sidelines as his side looked in control.
Bukayo Saka and Odegaard tried to salvage something for Arsenal before the break but their efforts were in vain. Tottenham went into the break with a 2-0 advantage over the Gunners.
Half-time at @SpursStadium! https://t.co/VMODWAj89x
Tottenham started the second half looking much more confident and lively going forward. They kept way more possession of the ball than Arsenal and it soon paid off. Son scored just minutes after the restart to make it 3-0 and put the result beyond doubt.
Arsenal looked like a shadow of themselves as they struggled to cope with being a man down. They were often outnumbered in key areas of the pitch and Tottenham did well to exploit the overload. With Xhaka dropping back into the visitors' backline, Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg controlled the midfield areas with ease.
The game did not produce much further excitement as Tottenham seemed to tone down their attacking intent. Both managers brought on players who usually don't get too many minutes as the game neared its conclusion. Antonio Conte introduced Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn to the proceedings. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta brought on Alexandre Lacazette.
Neither side had a significant chance as Tottenham held on to secure a comfortable and crucial 3-0 win over Arsenal. That said, let's take a look at player ratings for the teams from tonight's north London derby.
Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings
Hugo Lloris - 7.5/10
Lloris once again showed why he has been Tottenham's No. 1 for over a decade. He made four saves, of which two were inside the box and ended the game with a clean sheet.
Davinson Sanchez - 7/10
Having made a nervy start, Sanchez slowly found his feet and put in an encouraging performance in Romero's absence.
Eric Dier - 7/10
Dier was a rock in Tottenham's backline. He made four clearances, blocked one shot and made two interceptions.
Ben Davies - 7/10
Despite being booked early on, the Welshman recovered well and put in a solid performance for his side. He won four of his six duels and made two clearances.
Emerson Royal - 6.5/10
Emerson had a decent game on the right flank for the Spurs. He took three shots, only one of which was on target.
Rodrigo Bentancur - 7.5/10
Bentancur had a nearly perfect game for Tottenham in midfield. He played two key passes, three accurate long balls, and passed the ball with 95% accuracy. He lost possession just four times and also provided an assist for Kane's second goal.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 7.5/10
Hojbjerg was the heartbeat of the combative Spurs side that defeated Arsenal. He played five accurate long balls and won four of his five duels. He also made three clearances, three tackles and one interception.
Ryan Sessegnon - 6.5/10
Sessegnon had a decent game as his side secured all three points. He played two key passes.
Dejan Kulusevski - 6/10
In a near-perfect Tottenham side, Kulusevski was the only one who seemed slightly off the pace. He was substituted off with about twenty minutes left to play.
Heung-min Son - 8/10
Son looked threatening from the start and did well to put Arsenal's defense under pressure. He took two shots and scored from one of them.
He also won the initial penalty that Kane scored from to put Tottenham 1-0 ahead.
Harry Kane - 8.5/10
He first scored from the spot and then tapped-in at the back post to put Tottenham in a commanding position at 2-0. A crucial performance in a crucial game showed why he is Spurs' most-prized asset.
Substitutes
Steven Bergwijn - 6/10
Bergwijn came on to replace Son and put in a decent shift to help his side secure the win.
Lucas Moura - 6.5/10
Moura was brought on to expand the game in the late stages and he did just that, getting fouled quite a few times as a result.
Joe Rodon - N/A
He came on late in the game when his side had already secured the result.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 6/10
Ramsdale made three saves but also conceded three goals on a tough night for Arsenal.
Cedric - 5.5/10
Cedric committed a silly foul that gave away a penalty early in the first half.
Rob Holding - 4.5/10
Holding was a liability for Arsenal as he showed a knack for committing silly challenges from the start. He was booked in the 26th minute and then again in the 33rd minute, which reduced the Gunners to 10 men. A disappointing outing in a crucial game.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6.5/10
Gabriel made a fiery start to the game and was in the thick of everything disruptive. He made four clearances, blocked two shots and made two tackles. He was Arsenal's best player on defense and was unlucky to suffer a hamstring injury.
He was replaced by Nuno Tavares after 76 minutes.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - 6/10
Tomiyasu looked composed on the left side of the defense. He had 54 touches and passed the ball with a 90% accuracy.
Mohamed Elneny - 6.5/10
Elneny was one of the better performers for a lackluster Arsenal side tonight. He won all three of the duels he was involved in. Elneny also made three interceptions and two tackles.
Granit Xhaka - 6.5/10
Xhaka made a good start to the game and looked strong in the middle of the park. He blocked one shot and made one interception. He was booked in the dying embers after arguing with the referee.
Bukayo Saka - 6/10
Saka looked lively with the ball in the initial exchanges. However, that faded away after Tottenham took the lead. His contributions reduced drastically as the game progressed.
Martin Odegaard - 6.5/10
Odegaard tried to pull the strings and help Arsenal claw back into the game but in vain. He attempted four shots, of which three were on target. He also played two accurate long balls and one accurate cross.
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
Martinelli was good on the ball and did well to get past his markers on a couple of occasions. However, his impact was limited to the wing as he failed to contribute in front of goal.
He won six of his 11 duels and successfully completed four of seven dribbles. He played two key passes.
Eddie Nketiah - 6/10
It was a quiet evening for Arsenal's frontman as he failed to get on the scoresheet. He could only muster a single shot on target.
Substitutes
Emile Smith Rowe - 6/10
Smith Rowe came on in the second half to replace Martinelli. He failed to make an impact on the scoreline but was booked late in the game.
Alexandre Lacazette - 6/10
Lacazette came on for Nketiah but could not get involved in the proceedings as much as he would have liked.
Nuno Tavares - 6/10
Tavares was brought on to replace the injured Gabriel.