Tottenham to host Arsenal next month in front of 2,000 fans

Spectators to be allowed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 6

Tottenham Hotspur's Japhet Tanganga hugs teammate Alfie Whiteman after their win in the Europa League over Ludogorets. PA

Tottenham Hotspur announced plans for 2,000 fans to attend the north London derby against Arsenal next month.

All 32 London boroughs and the City of London are in tier two of the government's regionalised coronavirus restriction system, where up to 2,000 spectators are allowed at outdoor sports venues from December 2.

The match on December 6 will be the first to be played in front of spectators at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Norwich on March 4.

The club said they will run a ballot of season ticket holders and executive members while allocating allocate the tickets.

Spurs said their women's team's Super League match against Brighton at The Hive in Barnet would also be played in front of a "limited capacity" on the same day as the men's derby.

Tottenham said they looked forward to welcoming NHS staff and key workers to the stadium "at the appropriate time" to enjoy a match.

Their north London rivals will be the first Premier League team to play a competitive match in front of supporters since March when they host Rapid Vienna in a Europa League match on December 3.

________________

Spurs v Ludogorets ratings

TOTTENHAM RATINGS v LUDOGORETS: Joe Hart – 5. Probably had more to do in the warm-up than he did in the 80 or so minutes that followed. Suffice to say, he had a quiet evening. AFP

Matt Doherty – 6. Some much-needed minutes for the right-back following his return from quarantine, and he showed some impressive attacking intent with a series of runs behind the Ludogorets back line. AFP

Davinson Sanchez – 6. Took his opportunity well and could figure at the weekend in the absence of Toby Alderweireld. A quiet night, but he was faultless. AP

Japhet Tanganga – 6. Performed well at centre-back despite Mourinho suggesting his future lies at full-back. Formed a good partnership with Sanchez. Reuters

Ben Davies – 6. Had little to no defending to do so got forward at every opportunity, and was a constant outlet on the left. Struck the post with a descent half volley in the first half. EPA

Harry Winks – 8. Winks got better as the game went on. He played some searching balls into the box and then scored with an extraordinary mis-hit cross from 56 yards. EPA

Tanguy Ndombele – 7. A game of two halves for Ndombele who was everywhere in the first half. Arguably Spurs’ best player before half-time, he was sloppy in the second, and substituted. AFP

Dele Alli – 8. A return to form for Alli, who had several chances to score but also created two of the four goals. His contribution for Spurs’ second was selfless, as he passed to Vinicius rather than shooting himself. AFP

Lucas Moura – 6. Was wasteful with his passing in times but kept battling on and was rewarded with Tottenham’s fourth goal. AP

Gareth Bale – 7. Another game under his belt and Bale showed glimpses of his best. Came close with several long-range efforts and forced Iliev into a save from close range. AP

Carlos Vinicius – 7. Came alive whenever the ball was in the box. His first goal was a neat finish, his second a case of being in the right place at the right time. Was unlucky not to claim a hat-trick. Reuters

SUBSTITUTES: Jack Clarke (Bale, 68) – 6. Came on to the right-hand side but struggled to get into the game. AP

Harvey White (Allie, 82) – N/A. Almost scored within seconds of coming on, but he dragged his effort wide of the post. EPA

Dane Scarlett (Moura, 82) – N/A. Looked sharp when he came on. Managed to get a sight of goal but couldn’t quite get the ball under control. EPA

Alfie Whiteman (Hart, 81) – N/A. Did more in his first minute than Hart did all game, and claimed a cross well. A nice cameo for the Spurs fan. PA

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Ndombele, 61) – 5. Got stuck in straight away and injected some intensity into Tottenham’s second-half display. Reuters