Three winners and three losers from Tottenham's 1-0 pre-season win over Arsenal - Opinion

Tottenham Hotspur conquered Arsenal in the first North London derby to take place abroad, and there were some impressive performances from members of Thomas Frank’s squad.

Tottenham have kept their unbeaten run under Thomas Frank going with a first victory in the North London derby since May 2022, when Antonio Conte was in charge.

Today’s performance was far superior to the two showings on Saturday, when Spurs were held to draws against both Wycombe Wanderers and Luton Town.

Everyone who partook in the win against Arsenal will be feeling good, but not everyone managed to impress with their individual display. Here are the three winners and losers of Tottenham’s Hong Kong triumph.

Pedro Porro could do great things for Tottenham next season

Pedro Porro took his time getting up to speed last season. It is easy to forget that not only was he linked with a move away from Spurs, but many of his displays were underwhelming. This led to some calls to start Djed Spence on the right side of defence instead.

Porro improved a lot in the second half of the season, and currently, he has the look of a player who is ready to hit new heights. The Spaniard’s deliveries from set pieces were threatening today, and he almost managed to score directly from a corner. 

He also defended well, making nine clearances during the match and dealing with three different wingers across the entire match. Porro will continue to be one of the first names on the Tottenham team sheet, as he was under Ange Postecoglou, and it is easy to see why.

Djed Spence played well in a more conservative role

There is a reason Bukayo Saka had very little impact in today’s derby. That reason is Djed Spence, who had a very good defensive performance.

Spence made the losers list against Luton Town because he conceded possession more than once in a dangerous area. However, he was far more composed against Arsenal and, rather than attempting to do too much, he stuck to his defensive duties and kept the opposition at bay.

With the continuing absence of Destiny Udogie, Spence played at left-back and that appears to be his stronger position. It would make sense to make that his permanent position and use Archie Gray as a backup right-back, unless Spurs invest in a new signing who can play on the right.

Pape Matar Sarr was the match winner for Spurs

There’s a Sarr man who’s magic on the ball. What an improvement we are witnessing in the quality of Pape Matar Sarr! There were times last season when he seemed like a filler player – someone Tottenham fielded for no reason other than because there were no alternative options.

If Sarr brings his pre-season form into the new campaign, this will certainly not be the case for long. He got himself on the scoresheet twice against Wycombe, with two close-range efforts. Today, the Senegalese midfielder scored one of his more traditional goals – a shot from distance.

Sarr dispossessed Myles Lewis-Skelly and chipped the ball over David Raya, getting the right amount of power, height and direction on his shot. His general play was very good too, and he looked particularly lively in the first half. It was another great showing from a man with a purpose. Sarr is clearly eager to impress his new manager, and he is certainly succeeding.

Now onto our three losers from the 1-0 win

Richarlison was off target for Tottenham vs Arsenal

Richarlison did not have a bad game against Arsenal. In fact, his pressing was essential to Sarr being able to make the tackle, which led to Tottenham’s only goal of the game.

However, the Brazilian had a brilliant chance to head in a goal for Spurs from when Raya found himself unable to collect a corner kick. Instead of finding the back of the net, Richarlison hit the post, leaving Tottenham supporters stunned as to how he managed to mess up the perfect goalscoring chance.

With Dominic Solanke injured, this was Richarlison’s chance to play as a central striker and prove he is a better goalscorer than the Englishman. However, he failed to show he can be the clinical finisher Tottenham so desperately need. Showing good energy is useful, but a striker without an end product has little chance of leaving the bench.

Antonin Kinsky did not even feature against Arsenal

Everyone by now will be aware of the rumours circulating regarding Antonin Kinsky. He has been able to enjoy a decent number of minutes so far in pre-season, but Guglielmo Vicario played the full 90 today.

To make things worse for the 22-year-old, Vicario kept a clean sheet, and it seems likely he will remain as the main goalkeeper at Tottenham during the upcoming season.

Kinsky will want to be playing as much as possible, but it is likely he will either have to settle for sporadic appearances, when Tottenham have cup games, or go out on loan.

Where does Archie Gray fit into Thomas Frank’s team?

Archie Gray was the dog’s body at Tottenham last season. He played mostly as a centre-back, but also as a full-back and a defensive midfielder. Injuries to other players certainly benefited the England U21 international, but he could struggle for game time in a team where all the regular starters remain fit.

Gray only played five minutes plus stoppage time against Arsenal. Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur all started ahead of him, while the more experienced Yves Bissouma looks to be ahead in the pecking order.

The 19-year-old has shown glimpses of what he is capable of at Tottenham, but he will have to do something special to give himself a chance of starting next season. It could be that Gray’s best chance to play is as Porro’s understudy. After all, he did play mostly as a right-back in his final season at Leeds United.

READ MORE – Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Arsenal in North London Derby

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