Tottenham Player Ratings vs. Arsenal: 7/10 for Kolo Muani, 2/10 for Dragusin as Igor Tudor gets baptised by fire

Igor Tudor’s Tottenham reign commences with a humbling 4-1 defeat to Arsenal.

Tottenham were humiliated in the North London Derby, falling to a 4-1 defeat at home to Arsenal in a performance that will only deepen concerns about their Premier League survival prospects.

Viktor Gyokeres scored twice, with Eberechi Eze also grabbing a brace as Arsenal were ruthless in exploiting a Spurs defence that offered almost no resistance. Randal Kolo Muani‘s goal provided brief hope in the first half, but it wasn’t enough.

Tottenham Hotspur Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario (5/10): Made a couple of decent saves that prevented an even worse scoreline, but was repeatedly exposed by a defence that gave him no protection. Could do little about any of the four goals, though his distribution under pressure was occasionally shaky.

Djed Spence (4/10): Struggled to contain Arsenal’s movement on his side and offered very little going forward. Was repeatedly caught out of position and unable to recover with any consistency. Was exploited by Bukaoyo Saka on the flank.

Radu Dragusin (2/10): A nightmare afternoon at the heart of the defence. Dragusin was caught out time and again, contributing directly to Arsenal’s ability to carve through Spurs at will. Looked badly out of his depth at this level.

Micky van de Ven (4/10): Worked hard but was fighting a losing battle. Van de Ven’s pace bailed him out on occasions, but he was too frequently isolated, covering for those around him rather than defending his own zone.

Joao Palhinha (4/10): Uncomfortable again in a defensive role, lacking the mobility Tudor’s three-back system demands. Replaced by Tel in the 82nd minute, having contributed little in either direction.

Yves Bissouma (4/10): Failed to provide the midfield protection Spurs desperately needed. Bypassed too easily by Arsenal’s runners and unable to impose any defensive structure. Was also booked.

Conor Gallagher (5/10): Showed some urgency before being replaced by Solanke in the 62nd minute, but the damage was already done. Couldn’t influence the game in the way Spurs needed.

Pape Matar Sarr (4/10): Peripheral throughout. Struggled to get on the ball and offered no meaningful defensive contribution. It was through him that Saka’s cross to Eze came through, for Arsenal’s first goal.

Xavi Simons (5/10): Had moments of quality but was largely anonymous in a game that passed him by. Needs far better around him to function effectively. Also lost the ball several times.

Randal Kolo Muani (7/10): The one bright spot. Worked tirelessly, held the ball up well, and took his goal with composure. Also thought he had equalized for the second time, but was chalked off due to a foul on Gabriel. Replaced by Richarlison in the 68th minute, perhaps prematurely given he was Spurs’ only genuine threat.

Substitutes

Solanke (5/10): Came on at 62 minutes but had little to work with as Spurs chased the game.

Richarlison (N/A): Introduced at 68 minutes with the result already beyond doubt.

Tel (N/A): Too late to influence proceedings after coming on in the 82nd minute.