A combination of the best players from Arsenal and Tottenham.
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With Arsenal and Tottenham set to renew their rivalry once again in the North London derby this weekend, rarely have Spurs had such an opportunity to claim the stronger set of players in this game. With the lucrative sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid looking likely, Andre Villas-Boas has spent £90million already on exciting new additions, with the possibility of more still to come.
Although deadline day is fast approaching and there could be a flurry of late deals by both sides, we have a look at the best current north London XI.
Defence
In goal, Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris as number one is a no-brainer. The Frenchman had a fine first season in English football last year, and looks like potentially becoming one of the best shot-stoppers in the league. Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny, meanwhile, has gone backwards after initially looking like a good prospect. The error-prone Pole was dropped for much of last season before an injury to Lukasz Fabianski forced him back into the side, and many Arsenal fans will be hoping Arsene Wenger brings in a replacement in the next few days.
The experienced, solid, and reliable Bacary Sagna gets the nod over the more youthful, attack-minded, but inconsistent Kyle Walker at right-back, though both are top players for their sides, making it a close call. On the opposite flank, Kieran Gibbs edges Danny Rose for the left-back spot. Rose had an excellent season on loan at Sunderland last year and looks a good prospect, but is yet to truly find his feet at White Hart Lane, while Gibbs continues to grow in stature at the Emirates Stadium.
While Arsenal player’s dominate the full-back position, in the centre it has to be two Spurs men, with Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson far more reliable options than Per Mertesacker or Laurent Koscielny, not to mention the out-of-form Thomas Vermaelen. Although Mertesacker looked much-improved towards the end of last season, Vertonghen and Dawson are far more consistent and well-rounded players, with the Belgian also showing great ability going forward, and Dawson proving to be a great leader for Andre Villas-Boas’ side.