Tottenham player ratings v Arsenal – Odobert shines, 4/10 forgettable
Tottenham beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first-ever North London derby to be played outside of the United Kingdom on Thursday.
Thomas Frank had his first battle against Arsenal as Tottenham’s head coach at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong (31 July).
Fans would have been nervous ahead of kick-off after Spurs’ pre-season struggles thus far.
However, Frank proved all the doubters wrong. After an incredible shot from the halfway line from Pape Matar Sarr, Tottenham ended the game with a 1-0 win, as Tottenham News rates every player’s performance out of 10.
Wilson Odobert shines for Tottenham against Arsenal
Most will be talking about the incredible long-range finish from Sarr. However, Wilson Odobert outdid his performance against Wycombe with a stellar showing against Arsenal on the left wing.
The Frenchman was a menace from the beginning, causing all types of problems down the left channel. Ten minutes into the first half, he showed off his pace, latching onto a ball sent in behind before forcing a Spurs corner.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | 22 | 4 | – |
Throughout the second half, most of the danger for Frank’s side came from Odobert, including an expertly placed ball for Micky van de Ven midway through the half.
How he attacked the Gunners’ goal presented a stark difference to Brennan Johnson during Spurs’ goalless draw with Luton Town. Odobert was relentless, taking on his opponent from the wing while picking out his teammates in the box.
If fans were doubting before, it is clear now that the youngster will play a key role for Frank in the forthcoming season.
Rodrigo Bentancur underwhelms against Arsenal
The majority of Tottenham players put on a solid performance against the Gunners in Hong Kong.
However, Rodrigo Bentancur was underwhelming from start to end upon his return from illness. Other than a couple of good interventions to win the ball back in midfield, the 28-year-old did not stand out from the rest.
He lost several balls in the middle of the park, which were latched onto by Arsenal players, and he struggled to get his team upfield during various stretches of the confrontation.
It was by no means a disastrous performance from the defensive midfielder. However, it was most definitely a forgettable one.
Tottenham player ratings v Arsenal
Guglielmo Vicario – 5
Pedro Porro – 6
Cristian Romero – 7
Micky van de Ven – 6
Djed Spence – 7
Rodrigo Bentancur – 4
Pape Matar Sarr – 8
Lucas Bergvall – 6
Mohammed Kudus – 7
Richarlison – 6
Wilson Odobert – 9
Subsitutes
Kevin Danso – 5 (For Romero 63′)
Brennan Johnson – 5 (For Kudus 63′)
Mathys Tel – 6 (For Richarlison 63′)
Yves Bissouma – 5 (For Bergvall 78′)
Son Heung-min – 6 (For Odobert 78′)
Ben Davies – 5 (For van de Ven 78′)
James Maddison – 5 (For Sarr 85′)
Archie Gray – 5 (For Bissouma 85′)
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