Arsenal vs. Tottenham: Rating the Players in the North London Derby

There is no other way to begin to write about a match for the ages than with a smile on your face.

And Arsenal's 5-2 demolition of Tottenham was nothing short of that. What was supposedly Arsenal's worst team in a generation simply annihilated Spurs' best to abruptly end any serious talk of a "power shift" occurring in North London.

The Gunners showed real character in doing so, roaring back from 2-0 down to gain all the momentum by halftime and then completely run away with it in the second half. 

What began with a collector's item of a header from Bacary Sagna was followed by a wondrous strike from Robin van Persie, Tomas Rosicky's first goal in the league for over two years and two superb finishes from the mercurial Theo Walcott.

The best part about Arsenal's performance was the fact that the Gunners simply overran Tottenham in midfield, allowing the home side to take firm control of the match. Whereas Arsenal have been receiving that punishment for the past few matches, now they were dishing it out.

Now that I have finished thoroughly taunting my single Spurs-supporting friend and I may analyze one of the best and most significant wins during my time following the club, let us consider the following ratings for the players in the historic 5-2 triumph.

All ratings are on an increasing scale of 1-10, and I welcome any criticism in the comments.

Wojciech Szczesny: 7

The two goals that the young Pole let into his net were entirely not his fault. The first went in as a result of a freakish bounce off of Thomas Vermaelen's foot, and no goalkeeper could be blamed for not saving Emmanuel Adebayor's nearly-perfect penalty—a chance which only came as the result of a blatant dive by Gareth Bale.

He was not called into action much as the match wore on and Arsenal dominated more and more, but when a shot did come his way, he was quite secure in dealing with it. And for me, this glorious celebration after the fifth goal went in epitomizes all that we love about Wojciech.

Kieran Gibbs: 6

Gibbs, as usual, was very positive going forward and generally did well on the left until he was replaced by the returning Carl Jenkinson late in the match.

But the way he went to sleep and failed to track back on Louis Saha's opener was inexcusable, and he appears to be doing everything possible to convince Arsene Wenger that he should not be Arsenal's starting left-back.

Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny: 6

The centre-backs' performance, too, improved during the course of the match, but their showing left much to be desired.

They frequently left the belly of the Arsenal defence exposed to penetration, and mayhem often ensued when the two got caught out of position. Perhaps the presence of Per Mertesacker is needed to add a rock to the center of defence, but this area is one which Koscielny and Vermaelen need to work on in training.

Bacary Sagna: 7.5

What a day the recently-returned Frenchman had. He locked down the right of Arsenal's defence but was more frequently used in attack.

And when called upon, Bac delivered in grand style. In addition to the several great crosses that he whipped in the box, he headed home Arsenal's crucial first goal and followed that up with a classy fist-pump before retrieving the ball to expedite the process of scoring more goals.

That really epitomized the day that Arsenal had.

Alex Song: 7

Song was used mostly as a sort of third centre-back late in the match, and he did his duty well in that position.

He was even more effective when deployed in his usual midfield slot, making tough stops and, crucially, setting up Theo Walcott's second goal with a delightful chip over the Spurs defence.

The Cameroonian continues to impress.

Mikel Arteta: 7

Arteta played his usual metronomic role in midfield, finding time on the ball and dictating much of Arsenal's possession when the Gunners had control.

His role is an understated one, but Arteta is invaluable in keeping the midfield ticking nicely.

Tomas Rosicky: 9.5

There can be no doubt that Rosicky was the Man of the Match, and his utterly superb performance played a crucial role in lifting Arsenal over their rivals.

He constantly pressed the ball up the field, worked harder than anyone on the pitch, controlled Arsenal's attack and was duly rewarded with his first goal in the League for over two calendar years.

It was the crucial goal that put the Gunners in the lead for good, and it epitomized his never-say-die attitude that played a huge role in Arsenal's victory.

Yossi Benayoun: 7.5

The Israeli's performance is likely to be forgotten among the other lights that shined a bit brighter on the day, but Benayoun's contribution was as vital as that of those around him.

His runs, dribbling and passing created space and opportunities for the rest of the attackers, and his stoic presence was invaluable.

Theo Walcott: 8

What a frustrating player Theo Walcott can be. His first half was the typical sort of abysmal performance that we are coming to expect from the young Englishman, and Arsene Wenger admitted that he seriously considered whether to leave him on for the second period.

But he did, and Walcott responded with one of his best performances of the season. Penetrating runs, blazing speed and two sublime finishes put the game out of Tottenham's reach. Once again, Walcott became the single-most threatening and unpredictable player on the pitch.

If only he could perform like this on a regular basis, Walcott might be as good on the pitch as he is in his head.

Robin van Persie: 9

Speaking of incredible finishes, van Persie hit the spectacular equalizer to give the Gunners all the momentum before halftime and played the role of talisman as usual.

He was more heavily involved in Arsenal's attack than any other player, and his perfect hold-up play to set up Walcott's first goal was indicative of the type of team performance that van Persie contributed.

The Dutchman has scored 50 league goals since January 1, 2011, and Arsenal need to sign him up at any price this summer.

Substitutes:

Carl Jenkinson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gervinho

Not enough to rate, but it's great to see Jenkinson back on the pitch for the club he loves.

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