Arsenal v Tottenham: The North London Derby XI

1 of 6

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 6: Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal holds off Kyle Walker of Tottenham during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at White Hart Lane on March 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) /

Sunday is Derby Day in North London, with second-place Arsenal hosting fifth-place Tottenham in one of this season’s marquee matchups. With both clubs set to field talented squads, what would the starting XI be if we combined the best from each team?

It’s not often that we get a North London Derby where both Arsenal and Tottenham are in not only the heat of the league title race, but in the Champions League as well.

But that’s the scenario this Sunday. Second-place Arsenal, which is sitting on 23 points and has already qualified for the Champions League Knockout Round, will take on a fifth-place Spurs squad that’s unbeaten in the league.

The North London Derby has long been one of the most competitive rivalries in the EPL, though Arsenal have had the advantage with 72 wins to Tottenham’s 53. Forty-seven of the 172 fixtures played have been draws.

There’s plenty of reasons why either Arsenal or Tottenham could come out on top. There’s also a great chance it could end in a draw. Three of the past four league games between the teams have ended all-square and Spurs currently lead the EPL with five draws through 10 games.

A couple things to remember with our best of the best XI. First, form matters. If a player’s having struggles or hasn’t been cracking his own club’s first-team lineup, he’ll likely be on the bench in our North London XI. Second, injuries matter. If a player likely won’t dress for Sunday’s game, he won’t dress in the North London XI.

Home/Arsenal FC