The North London derby is one of the most lobsided ‘rivalries’ in footballing history, with Arsenal light years ahead of Spurs in both trophies and the head-to-head stakes.
It shares some DNA with the Merseyside derby (though no Spurs side can really hold a candle to the Everton side of the mid 80’s). I have decided to have a bit of fun and assemble a combined North London eleven ahead of Sunday’s marquee clash at the Emirates. The whole endeavour would collapse if I looked across the entire spectrum of the Premier League (the Invincibles would dominate proceedings). I have opted to level the playing field, opting for players who started in the post-Highbury era (from 2006 onwards). Arsenal fans always get a kick out of those sorts of concessions (and they should). Get ready for a couple of controversial calls.
1 David Raya (Ars)- GK
Hugo Lloris and Emi Martinez came close to nicking this spot. But David Raya has transformed into a top goalkeeper in recent seasons, adding a growing sense of solidity to his slick distribution. I think his role in Arsenal’s growing defensive rigidity is often overlooked.
2. Kyle Walker (Spurs)- RB
This was probably one of the easier slots to fill on this list. Walker would obviously establish himself as an all-time great fullback during his time at City, pocketing the likes of Mbappe and Vini Jr with his spellbinding recovery runs. But he was integral in Spurs’ rise to prominence, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2012. He created his own little piece of history in this iconic grudge match, scoring a 25-yard screamer to help Spurs to a 2-1 win over the Gunners in 2011.
3 and 4. William Saliba and Gabriel – CD’s
Everyone loves a 2-for-1 special. The Vertonghen-Alderweireld duo came under consideration for this spot, guiding Spurs to a Champions League final and four successive top-four finishes. But I ultimately had to opt for the pair who are currently threatening longstanding defensive records: Saliba and Gabriel. This pair reminds me of the Ferdinand-Vidic partnership, with Saliba evoking Rio’s silky ball-playing ability while Gabriel performs Vidic’s wrecking-ball role. It’s the ultimate good-cop, bad-cop routine. All they need is silverware to take their place among the pantheon of truly great central defensive partnerships.
5. Nacho Monreal- LB
This was the one slot in the side that never really had a world-class option: Ashley Cole rose to prominence during the pre-Emirates era. Benoit Assou-Ekotto was a solid figure during Spurs’ better seasons, but I ultimately went for the hyper-consistent Nacho Monreal. Monreal was one of late-Wenger’s most reliable practitioners, winning three FA Cups under the tutelage of the Frenhman. Though primarily a defensive-minded left-back, Monreal’s delicious left-footed delivery made him a dangerous prospect in the final 3rd (especially with Giroud lurking in the box).
6. Declan Rice- CM
Declan Rice has completely revolutionized the Arsenal midfield. The former Hammer is the type of all-action, box-to-box midfielder that Arsenal so desperately craved. His dead-ball mastery has been a feature of Arsenal’s resurgence, and he has arguably been their most consistent performer in Europe since joining the club. Is he a 6 or is he a 8? Regardless of your thoughts on that conundrum, you can’t deny his place in this squad (even at the expense of someone like Santi Cazorla).
7. Luka Modric- CM
Considering everything he would go on to achieve at Real Madrid, it’s easy to forget the impact that Luka Modric had at Spurs. The Croatian endured a tough start to life at the Lane, suffering a knee injury before Arsene Wenger dubbed him ‘too lightweight’ to succeed in the Prem. Did we really need any more evidence that Wenger was losing touch with the league? Modric would prove all the doubters wrong, engineering a move to Real Madrid courtesy of his dominant performances in the heart of the Spurs midfield.
8. Mezut Ozil- No.10
An enigmatic figure , Mezut Ozil is oft maligned for his perceived laziness and detached persona (he wasn’t getting the fans gassed up like Gabriel). But he is arguably one of the most talented players to ever play for Arsenal. A no.10 in the David Silva mode, Ozil had magnificent vision and a delicate weight of pass, delivering assists that few others could envision. His silky first touch and playmaking skills led Cristiano Ronaldo to dub him the 2nd best player at Real Madrid (typically self-serving praise from football’s greatest egomaniac).
9. Gareth Bale- RW
I’m going to catch some pelters here. Bukayo Saka has proven to be an instrumental figure in Arsenal’s renaissance and statistically matches up to any winger- bar Salah- in the history of the league. However, Welsh wizard Gareth Bale was one of the top five players in the world during his final seasons at Spurs, destroying fullbacks en route to two PFA Player of the Season awards. He was unplayable in his final season, scoring 21 goals in just 34 Premier League appearances. You must give kudos to Harry Redknapp, who helped convert Bale from a rangy left-sided fullback into one of the most devastating right wingers in the history of the league. Rumour has it that Maicon still sees him in his nightmares.
10. Alexis Sanchez- LW
Time to level the scales of indignation. Spurs fans will no doubt see Son Heung-min as a shoo-in for this position (and you could make a compelling argument for the trailblazing South Korean). However, I think that Alexis Sanchez left a more indelible mark on the league (the less said about his ivory-tickling days at United, the better). The Chilean was a phenomenon for the Gunners, providing goals and creating chances while working tirelessly for the cause. Sure, Van Persie and Fabregas played plenty of great football at the Emirates. But the Chilean was probably the first Emirates-era player to capture the imagination in the same way that Henry and co had done at Highbury. People would pay their hard-earned money just to get a glimpse of him terrorizing fullbacks.
11. Harry Kane- STR
I’m sure there will be RVP stans out there incandescent at this selection. But come on, Kane was the only option here. Before rewriting the history books for England and Bayern Munich, Harry Kane pulled Spurs kicking and screaming into Premier League contention with his unreal goalscoring feats. Kane scored 280 goals in 435 matches for Spurs, moving past Wayne Rooney into 2nd place in the all-time Prem scoring charts with 213 goals. He owned this fixture, scoring 14 goals in North London derbies (four ahead of any other player).
