The Premier League is back with a bang this weekend, as Arsenal and Tottenham face off in the north London derby in Saturday’s early kick-off.
Arsenal have long been top dog for most of the Premier League era, but Spurs have been impressive in the last couple of years and now head in as favourites.
Sportsmail’s reporters have picked the best players from both squads — if everyone was fit — and created their combined XIs.
The Premier League is back with a bang as Arsenal and Tottenham face off
Matt Barlow
Lloris; Alderweireld, D. Sanchez, Vertonghen; Bellerin, Alli, Wanyama, Eriksen, Rose; A. Sanchez, Kane (3-5-2)
It’s a bit Spursy but that’s not a bad thing anymore. Shame to leave out Eric Dier and Aaron Ramsey but this is a decent team. The Spurs back-three are impressive and Hugo Lloris is ahead of Petr Cech who is on the slide. The muscle of Victor Wanyama allows you to play with Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in midfield. Pace out wide and goals up front.
Tottenham 9-2 Arsenal
Hugo Lloris is picked in goal ahead of Petr Cech in all of Sportsmail reporters’ combined XIs
Ian Ladyman
Lloris; Trippier, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Rose; Dier, Dembele; Eriksen, Alli, Sanchez; Kane (4-2-3-1)
This almost felt painful to write. A north London composite XI with only one Arsenal player in it? That is as damning as it looks and, I am afraid, a sorry indication of the gap that has grown — and is growing — between these two clubs.
Looking at the options, I tried in interests of fairness to make a case for the Arsenal full-backs and even to try and find a place for Mesut Ozil, but I am afraid there is just something too athletic and irresistible about Mauricio Pochettino’s squad to reach any other conclusion than this one.
Alexis Sanchez gets in but only just. Maybe we should have included a subs’ bench too? Anything to get the red numbers up.
Tottenham 10-1 Arsenal
Only Alexis Sanchez could make it from Arsenal into several of the teams picked by our writers
Riath Al-Samarrai
Lloris; Bellerin, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Dembele; Sanchez, Alli, Eriksen; Kane (4-2-3-1)
The problem here, or not as the case may be, is that it wasn’t even hard to leave out so many Arsenal players. I would possibly have Jack Wilshere ahead of Dier, but that is based on his best, which we haven’t seen for some time because of the injuries and Arsene Wenger’s decision not to pick him in big games.
The other decisions were pretty easy — Hector Bellerin over Kieran Trippier on the grounds of his pace, and no Ozil because I see him as a lesser player than each of the three I have behind Kane.
Tottenham 9-2 Arsenal
Riath Al-Samarrai prefers Hector Bellerin to Kieran Trippier due to his blistering pace
Lee Clayton
Lloris; Alderweireld, Dier, Vertonghen; Trippier, Rose; Eriksen, Alli, Winks; Kane, Sanchez (3-5-2)
I tried to find room for more Arsenal players. These things are always better when it’s six and five or a close call with difficult selections all over the pitch. This wasn’t a difficult selection.
Spurs have better players in almost every position and every area. Now can they put it together and win an important away game that declares them as serious title contenders? Right now they look a very talented team destined for third. Or second again.
Tottenham 10-1 Arsenal
Chris Wheeler
Lloris; Bellerin, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Ramsey; Sanchez, Alli, Eriksen; Kane (4-2-3-1)
It’s a telling indictment of the current Arsenal squad that when you compare the two sets of players like for like, Tottenham come out on top almost every time.
The only Arsenal player I feel compelled to include is Sanchez on the right side of an attacking trident behind Harry Kane. I would go for the pace of Bellerin at right back and Ramsey in midfield, but that’s about it for the Gunners.
There are still only four points separating the two rivals, however — and derby games being what they are, it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal won at the Emirates and reduced that gap to one.
Tottenham 8-3 Arsenal
Tottenham’s Harry Kane unsurprisingly leads the line in every XI submitted for this article
Sam Cunningham
Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Winks; Eriksen, Alli; Kane, Sanchez (4-2-2-2)
The only Arsenal player I can see worthy of replacing a Tottenham counterpart in a combined XI is Sanchez, such is the strength of the squad Pochettino has built. Although there are a few close calls.
I’ve gone for the classic Brazil 4-2-2-2 formation; full backs Trippier and Danny Rose providing the width in attack and Dier tucking into a back three when they are advanced, with an immensely strong attacking and defensive core.
Trippier just edges Bellerin for me, and Davinson Sanchez was a tough omission given his form for Spurs this season. It was also difficult to decide between Ramsey and Harry Winks. Cech at his peak would’ve been ahead of Lloris in goal, but it’s no contest now.
Tottenham 10-1 Arsenal
Dominic King
Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies; Alli, Dier, Ramsey; Sanchez, Kane, Eriksen (4-3-3)
Only two Arsenal players in this combined line-up and they are, perhaps, lucky to have that. Ramsey is an excellent player and could fit in alongside Alli and Dier, while you would have to be daft to leave a fully fit Sanchez out of your squad.
Ozil or Eriksen? This one isn’t even up for debate. Ozil is playing in fits and starts, Eriksen is consistently outstanding. This combined team probably shows how much the balance of power has swung in north London.
Tottenham 9-2 Arsenal
Aaron Ramsey holds off likes of Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele in Dominic King’s team
Laurie Whitwell
Lloris; Alderweireld, Koscielny, Vertonghen; Trippier, Dier, Eriksen, Rose; Sanchez, Alli; Kane (3-4-2-1)
Overwhelmingly populated by Spurs players, the only Arsenal members to get in are Laurent Koscielny, who would complement the back-three, and Sanchez, who at his best adds a different edge to attack. It seems a pretty clear cut case in all the other positions, with Dier in over Mousa Dembele for his ability to screen.
Tottenham 9-2 Arsenal
Joe Bernstein
Lloris; Alderweireld, Koscielny, Vertonghen; Bellerin, Dembele, Alli, Davies; Eriksen; Kane, Sanchez (3-4-1-2)
Only three Arsenal players make it — and it’s very close between Bellerin and Trippier, with the Spaniard having that little extra bit of pace as a wing-back.
Koscielny is a great defender who would make a back-three look impregnable alongside Tottenham’s two Belgians, and Sanchez would provide a wild card element up front.
I haven’t given up on Ozil as a top player — he was excellent against England — but Eriksen is just getting better and better, and it’s hard to play them in the same team.
There is a case for Alli being more effective from a deeper position, in order to make room for Sanchez.
Tottenham 8-3 Arsenal
Dele Alli scored against Arsenal in the last north London derby and will be eyeing the same
Mike Keegan
Lloris; Bellerin, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Rose; Dier; Ozil, Eriksen, Alli; Sanchez, Kane (4-1-3-2)
Just three Arsenal men in the line-up and you would not bet against every one of them leaving the club in the near future. An alarming state of affairs for the Gunners who, for me, are now very much the side heading south in the north of our capital.
Tottenham 8-3 Arsenal
Adam Crafton
Lloris; Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Trippier, Dier, Winks, Rose; Eriksen, Alli; Kane (3-4-2-1)
It’s a Spurs full house. I was not intending to be incendiary when I started noting down this line-up but in each position I found my gut instinct leaning towards a more vibrant and exciting Tottenham player.
Tottenham’s goalkeeper and back three is non-negotiable; perhaps Bellerin was closest to making the cut and ousting Trippier. Arsenal’s central midfield has been a weakness for a decade now. I am basing this on the form of players this season so Alexis Sanchez therefore does not make the cut.
Tottenham 11-0 Arsenal