Micky van de Ven praises Arsenal after north London derby

News » Premier League news » Arsenal news

February 22, 2026 20:47 GMT (UK), by Sri Aswin

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has acknowledged that Arsenal were the better team in the north London derby on Sunday.

Spurs entertained the Gunners in the Premier League and there was anticipation that they could be a response under new manager Igor Tudor.

However, that was not the case. Spurs were fortunate to pull level at 1-1. Declan Rice gifted possession in the lead-up to Randal Kolo Muani‘s goal.

In the second half, the Gunners dominated proceedings and secured a comfortable 4-1 win in the end, much to the frustration of Spurs.

Speaking after the game, Van de Ven said that the Gunners were the better team on the day and it was really difficult after they scored straight away after the interval through Viktor Gyokeres‘ long-range strike.

He said: “Arsenal were the better team. We were still in the game at 1-1 but after the second half, they scored straight away and then it was really difficult.”

With the result, Spurs remain 16th in the league standings. They are only four points adrift of 18th-placed West Ham United and face a serious relegation battle in the final 10 games of the league campaign.