The half-time whistle has blown between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, and the player ratings are in.
Tottenham trail their rivals 2-0 at the break following a toothless display at the Emirates.
Tottenham half-time player ratings vs Arsenal
Guglielmo Vicario – Arsenal looked to draw first blood in the second minute after Eberechi Eze’s scooped pass found Declan Rice free in the box. The Arsenal midfielder caught his volley sweetly, but Vicario made a fine stop to keep things level early on. Well beaten on two occasions later on in the first half. 4.
Djed Spence – The English full-back stuck to his task well against Leandro Trossard down the right for most of the first half. However, he failed to track the Belgian’s run for Arsenal’s opener, allowing Trossard to get in behind far too easily. 3.
Cristian Romero – Spurs have yet to see Romero get on the ball to help progress play with his distribution from deep. Arsenal are pressing high, limiting how much time the Argentine has in possession. 4.
Kevin Danso – surprise inclusion as Thomas Frank opted for a back five. The Austrian came close to scoring an own goal early on after Vicario’s parried save ricocheted onto him. Tottenham are looking to take advantage of set plays, and Danso’s long throws have been on display. 4.5.
Micky Van de Ven – The Dutchman is operating as the ball-playing centre-back when Tottenham attempt to build from the back. His passing, however, has been poor, too often finding an Arsenal shirt. If he can sharpen up, Spurs could profit. 5.
Destiny Udogie – Has looked sharp against Saka, winning several one-v-one duels with the Arsenal talisman and giving him little space to create. Unfortunately, he failed to hold the defensive line for Arsenal’s opener, playing Trossard onside. 4.
Rodrigo Bentancur – It has not been a straightforward midfield battle for Tottenham, with Mikel Merino operating as a false nine and frequently dropping into midfield, giving Bentancur and Joao Palhinha plenty to consider. It was the fluid setup that eventually led to Arsenal’s opener. 3.
Joao Palhinha – The Arsenal midfield are having a field day against Bentancur and Palhinha. How Eze had that much time to wriggle his way through is unfathomable. 4.
Mohammed Kudus – Tottenham have spent most of this contest defending, which has significantly limited the amount of the ball he has seen. 4.
Richarlison – The Brazilian has had very little to work with as Tottenham frequently look to go long. Richarlison simply cannot win the aerial duels against William Saliba and Piero Hincapie. 3.
Wilson Odobert – The Frenchman has barely had a touch, spending most of the match tracking back and helping Udogie deal with Saka on the left. 3.