Tottenham vs. Arsenal positional breakdown: Who has the edge?

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Referee Martin Atkinson shows a yellow card to Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 8, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Referee Martin Atkinson shows a yellow card to Mousa Dembele of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on November 8, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on February 22, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal during a training session at London Colney on February 22, 2016 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /

Eric Dier vs. Aaron Ramsey

If you look at Aaron Ramsey’s season on the whole you may believe that he has a clear advantage over Eric Dier in this match-up. Closer examination reveals that the Welsh midfielder has struggled mightily as of late. In fact, he’s failed to post a Whoscored.com player rating over 7 in his last four matches.

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In contrast, Dier has continued his steady play for Tottenham over the last several weeks. Even in the loss against West Ham he was one of Spurs best performers. If he can keep a cool head, his physicality should be a huge advantage for Tottenham if the game gets congested in the middle of the park.

Arsenal fans have serious reason to be concerned about Ramsey’s form as of late. He looked atrocious in the Champions League match versus Barcelona and his performance in the Manchester United loss wasn’t much better. They desperately need him to snap out of his funk before the North London Derby.

In somewhat of a surprise, I think Dier gives Spurs the edge here. He doesn’t have the experience or pedigree of Ramsey, but the simple fact is he has played much better than his counterpart as of late. It wouldn’t shock me if Ramsey woke up for the weekend, but Dier is the safer bet here.

Advantage: Tottenham

Next: Left attacking midfielder