Tottenham player ratings: Vertonghen and Wanyama dominate Arsenal

Jan Vertonghen-9

If you didn’t vote for Wanyama as your Man of the Match, you surely had to go with Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian centre back was excellent against Arsenal. He completely silenced any hope Giroud had of finding the back of the net.

In many ways, it was a continuation of the way Vertonghen has played all season long. He’s upped his level of play to match that of countryman Toby Alderweireld. You know he’s feeling good when he takes more shots on goal than any Arsenal player on the day. When Vertonghen plays with this much energy and verve, Spurs are impossible to break down.

Toby Alderweireld-7

It’s a little difficult to evaluate Alderweireld in this match because Vertonghen took so much pressure off of him. While Super Jan roamed all over the pitch, Alderweireld sat back and minded the store. He had a solid day at the office, but didn’t stand out as he sometimes does.

Kieran Trippier-6.5

I must confess that I don’t fully understand all of the plaudits for Trippier’s performance. He was an adequate right back, but it’s not as if he really made anything happen for the Spurs attack.

He was exactly the player that I believe he is. Trippier is limited athletically, but makes up for those weaknesses by using his skill on the ball and solid positioning to cause problems for opponents. As such, he kept Arsenal’s attack pretty quiet, but didn’t really put much pressure on the Gunners either. Kyle Walker is still Tottenham’s best right back.

Ben Davies-7

As I mentioned earlier, I thought Davies looked much more comfortable on the ball in this match. His combination play with Son kept Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pinned back and made Gabriel’s match an absolute nightmare. He still isn’t the dynamic force that Danny Rose is, but he showed he was capable of doing a job in an important derby today. It was a solid day for the Welshman.