Tottenham return to Premier League action with a trip to the Emirates Stadium, so we have put together a combined North London Derby XI from Spurs and Arsenal.
Tottenham and Arsenal combined XI selections
This combined Tottenham and Arsenal XI does not take into consideration players who are unavailable for Sunday evening’s game, so Gabriel and Tottenham’s seven to eight absentees are not included.
David Raya: Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario has been impressive in the last few weeks since the October break, and he has single-handedly won Spurs a few points this season. However, given Arsenal’s impressive defensive record and their run of eight games without conceding, Raya edges this one.
Jurrien Timber: Arsenal have looked really solid at the back all season without a doubt, but Timber down on the right offers a bit more than defensive solidity when it comes to one vs ones. He is a threat whether he is inverting, overlapping or even in the box for set plays, and he is a much better all-around player at the moment when compared with Pedro Porro.
Cristian Romero: At centre-back with Gabriel out injured, we have Cristian Romero coming into our team. He is a World Cup winner and a top passer of the ball with his direct passes that often help Spurs start off attacks, so he makes our team.
William Saliba: Pairing up with him is a top centre-back in his own right. Saliba has been a part of one of the best centre-back partnerships in the league for a couple of years, and we do believe the Frenchman would complement Romero quite well.
Micky van de Ven: Calafiori has been good for Arsenal, while Spence has also had his moments this season, but none of them have had a better season than van de Ven, who not only mops things up at the back with his blistering pace but also has goals in his game. With six this season, he takes up a spot at left-back, a position he has played in this season with the Dutch national team.
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Declan Rice: Rice gets into this team ahead of Bentancur, as the Englishman offers a lot more in both boxes. He is a proper box-to-box midfielder with a good strike on him as well as good deliveries from set pieces.
Zubimendi: Joao Palhinha has been a classy player for Tottenham this season, as he has held down that holding midfield spot quite brilliantly. However, Arsenal seem to have the right balance in the middle of the park with Rice and Zubimendi, who is a top midfield controller bringing something Palhinha does not have.
Mohammed Kudus: Kudus has done most of his damage on the right for Tottenham, but we would be moving him into the number ten position just behind the striker for a bit of creativity and flair, as Odegaard is injured and Eze has not performed at a top level this season.
Bukayo Saka: It has not been a season to write anything about for the Arsenal wide man. The truth is, the top area of the team for both sides has been quite poor; however, given his record in these derby matchups, he has a spot on the right.
Viktor Gyokeres: Not the biggest fan, but he is better than what Tottenham have at the top end of the pitch. Muani has not gotten into any rhythm because of injuries, Solanke is sidelined as well, while Richarlison has been inconsistent, so Gyokeres takes the number nine spot.