Tottenham eased past Arsenal 3-0 in a comfortable north London derby victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.
Harry Kane gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot, before Rob Holding’s rash red card saw the Gunners reduced to 10 men.
A superb Kane scored another, before Son Heung-min got in on the act to put the cherry on top of the cake and lift Antonio Conte’s men to one point behind their bitter rivals with two games left in the race for the final Champions League spot.
And Sportsmail’s ADRIAN KAJUMBA has rated how the players performed during the entertaining encounter.
Tottenham (pictured) smashed Arsenal 3-0 in the north London derby on Thursday evening
Harry Kane (left) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (right) were among the key performers for Spurs
TOTTENHAM (3-4-3)
Hugo Lloris: One nervy moment aside, a solid last line of defence. Tested once by Nketiah and equal to it. 7
Davinson Sanchez: Big job deputising for Romero. Shaky on the ball occasionally but didn’t let Spurs down when defending. 7
Eric Dier: Was safe in his defending in his box but also willing to step out and snap into tackles too. 7
Ben Davies, booked: Had to be disciplined after early yellow card. Made a number of key interceptions and blocks. 8
Emerson Royal: Was kept occupied by Martinelli but got forward dangerously, having three scoring chances. 7
Ben Davies (centre) was impressive in defence, making several key blocks and clearances
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Got through some vital work. Appeared to break things up and start moves numerous times. 8
Rodrigo Bentancur: A much-needed, composed presence in Spurs’ midfield. His header led to Kane’s second. 7.5
Ryan Sessegnon: Provided good support to his defenders. Produced inviting deliveries from the left too. 7.5
Dejan Kulusevski: Always on the move and never let Arsenal settle. Cross led to the deadlock-breaking penalty. 7
Harry Kane: Needs no invitation in a north London derby. Arsenal gave him two and of course he took them. 8
Son Heung-min scored one and was instrumental to Spurs’ attack clicking on Thursday night
Son Heung-min: Took a battering but led to two big first-half incidents. Scored one, should have had two. 7.5
Substitutes: Lucas Moura (replaced Kulusevski, 72) 6
Steven Bergwijn (replaced Son, 72) 6
Joe Rodon (replaced Davies, 82) 5.5
Substitutes not used: Gollini; Winks, White, Craig, Devine, Scarlett.
Manager: Antonio Conte, booked, 8
A rare win against Arsenal and fully deserved. His team stayed calm and the star men delivered for him.
ARSENAL (4-2-3-1)
Aaron Ramsdale: Powerless to prevent Kane and Son scoring but two acrobatic saves prevented more damage. 6.5
Cedric Soares: Sloppy defending led to penalty, giving Arsenal uphill task. Vital clearance denied Kane though. 5.5
Rob Holding, sent off: Plan to get rough to thwart Son backfired badly. First-half red ended their comeback hopes. 4
Rob Holding (left) getting sent off by referee Paul Tierney (right) was a massive blow to Arsenal
Gabriel: Eye-catching performer in Arsenal’s positive start but increasingly troubled as the night went on. 6
Takehiro Tomiyasu: Made one huge block to keep out Kane. Forced into centre-back after Holding’s dismissal. 7
Mohamed Elneny: Played a key role tactically cutting off supply to Kane in open play and stuck to his task. 6.5
Granit Xhaka, booked: Could not influence this occasion and let his frustration show more than once to referee. 6
Gunners star Bukayo Saka (right) was poor and did not put defenders under enough pressure
Martin Odegaard, booked: A couple of shots aside, struggled to properly get into the game, a task made even harder after red card. 5.5
Bukayo Saka: Forced Davies into early yellow-card foul but was unable to put him under enough pressure after. 5.5
Eddie Nketiah: Had Arsenal’s best attempt, put himself about at times but was starved of service and chances. 6
Gabriel Martinelli: Kept Spurs on their toes with his pressing, energy and directness. Was Arsenal’s biggest threat. 6.5
It was a sobering day for manager Mikel Arteta, who saw his team unravel and lose composure
Substitutes: Emile Smith Rowe, booked (replaced Martinelli, 64) 6
Alexandre Lacazette (replaced Nketiah, 72) 6
Nuno Tavares (replaced Gabriel, 75) 6
Substitutes not used: Leno; White, Swanson, Sambi Lokonga, Patino, Pepe.
Manager: Mikel Arteta 6
Positive start but his plans unravelled after his team lost their composure in the first half.
Referee: Paul Tierney 8
Instant and correct call for penalty. Kept control of a big occasion very well.
Man of the Match: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Attendance: Not confirmed.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10810909/PLAYER-RATINGS-Harry-Kane-shines-Tottenham-Rob-Holdings-red-massive-blow-Arsenal.html
