Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are undisputed picks in our combined Tottenham-Arsenal XI… while James Maddison makes the cut for Spurs – but which World Cup winner misses out?
The second North London derby of the season is upon us on Sunday afternoon, as both Tottenham and Arsenal kick off their respective 2023/24 Premier League seasons.
The reverse fixture saw the points shared at the Emirates, with Son Heung-Min grabbing a brace to give the then leaders a hard-fought point, but with the title race as it is, Arsenal will need to get all three. Time to have some chance of lifting their first Premier League trophy in 20 years.
Spurs, on the other hand, will look to close the gap on Aston Villa to take fourth place and return to the Champions League.
Arsenal have been formidable at times this season, but how many players from Ange Postecoglou’s squad could be in the starting line-up alongside Mikel Arteta’s title contenders?
Here’s the combined Arsenal-Spurs XI from Mail Sport…
Tottenham will take on Arsenal in the second North London derby of the season on Sunday afternoon
The points were shared in the Emirates in September, with Son Heung-Min bagging a brace
Bukayo Saka scored for the Gunners, while Cristian Romero scored an unfortunate own goal
Formation: 4-3-3
Goalkeeper: David Raya
While Guglielmo Vicario has been an impressive successor to former Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, Arsenal’s league record of 16 clean sheets this season should not be overlooked, and David Raya has been an integral part of that.
After replacing Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s number one earlier this season, the Spaniard has been a key figure for the Gunners in their title challenge and has proven to be one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
David Raya gets the nod in goal, with the Spaniard boasting a league record of sixteen zero points
Left back: Micky van de Ven
There is no doubt that this spot would have gone to Destiny Udogie had he been fit, as the young Italian was impressive for Postecoglou’s side in his debut season.
Arteta has struggled to find the answer at left-back as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior have been asked questions all season, so it would be wrong to just redshirt. Micky van de Ven therefore takes the spot.
The Dutch international has played as a left back for his country, so he wouldn’t be completely out of position. It would be wrong not to include him as he has been one of Spurs’ best signings.
When he is fit, the difference is night and day in Tottenham’s backline.
Although Micky van de Ven is slightly out of position, the Dutch defender fills in as left back
Right back: Ben White
Undoubtedly one of the more difficult ones, as Pedro Porro was fantastic on the right for Spurs, and while the Spaniard is the favorable option going forward with his speed and quality on the ball, Ben White – who is originally a centre-back – has this barely made a wrong step for Arsenal in a year.
As well as being solid in defense for the Gunners, the England international provided four assists and four goals, two of which came in their 5-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday night.
Ben White narrowly passes Pedro Porro and scored two goals against Chelsea on Tuesday
Center half: Gabriel Magalhaes
There is no better defensive partnership in the Premier League at the moment than the duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
The rock-solid partnership, favored by Arteta in 32 of 34 competitions this season, ranks first in clean sheets and last in goals conceded.
Gabriel has been the backbone of Arsenal’s defense since 2020, and despite rumors of the Brazilian leaving last summer, he has proven to be a mainstay in Arteta’s defense and one of the best defenders in the league.
Center half: William Saliba
While it is the partnership between Gabriel and Saliba that makes Arsenal’s defense so formidable, if you had to pick the better of the two it would have to be William Saliba.
The Frenchman has started every game for the Gunners this season and has the most clean sheets of any player in the Premier League.
There is no better defensive duo in the top flight than Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba
Holding midfielder: Declan Rice
Thomas Partey was in line for the spot, but with the Ghana international having been injured for most of the season and making just 10 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, the midfielder spot will go to Arteta’s £100m summer signing.
It’s not often you can say a player has lived up to a £100million price tag (see: Enzo Fernandez), and while the best is yet to come from the 25-year-old, there’s no denying Declan Rice has added a lot. needed stability and quality at the base of Arsenal’s midfield this season.
Declan Rice has decisively lived up to his £100million price tag in his debut season at the Emirates
Midfielder: James Maddison
Postecoglou barely put a foot wrong during his first summer transfer window at Tottenham, tackling the teams’ weaknesses in key positions.
No signing addressed Spurs’ creative issues more prominently than James Maddison.
Christian Eriksen’s creative mind has proven problematic for Spurs since the Dane’s departure from the club in 2020, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all failing to plug the gap in Tottenham’s attacking midfield. In steps Madison.
Although the latter part of the season was less impressive for the former Leicester star, likely due to his ankle injury in the middle of Spurs’ season, Maddison hit the ground running at the start of his debut season with the club.
He provided three goals and five assists in his first nine games, providing a much-needed creative spark.
Despite a dip in form in recent months, James Maddison has proven to be an astute signing
Midfielder: Martin Odegaard
Arguably Arsenal’s best player, Martin Odegaard has been a revelation for Arsenal since signing permanently for the Gunners in 2021.
With eight goals and eight assists to his name this season, the Arsenal captain is a no-brainer in this combination XI.
Norwegian star Martin Odegaard, 25, is undoubtedly Arsenal’s best player
Left wing: Leandro Trossard
A year ago it would have been difficult to imagine Gabriel Martinelli’s place on the left wing at Arsenal being heavily contested, but Leandro Trossard has impressed so much that he has been favored by the Brazilian of late – and in fewer appearances scored more goals. .
The Belgium international continues to perform in this Arsenal team and becomes an integral part of their attack.
Leandro Trossard is in such good form that he leaves teammate Gabriel Martinelli behind
Right wing: Bukayo Saka
There can be no discussion about this. Whatever argument Spurs fans can make in favor of Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski will not match Bukayo Saka’s 14 goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season.
Numbers aside, there are few better right wingers in the league than Arsenal’s top scorer.
There are few better right wingers in the league than Arsenal’s top scorer Bukayo Saka
Forward: Son Heung-Min
Although his best position is on the left, Arsenal’s lack of a clinical goalkeeper means Son will lead the line of this combined eleven.
Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern Munich in the summer may have put an end to the dynamic duo, but it certainly hasn’t stopped Son.
The South Korean has scored 15 goals in the league this season, along with nine assists, proving he is still a world-class talent even without his former partner in crime.
Son Heung-Min has still proven to be a world-class talent despite the departure of Harry Kane last summer
Full Combined XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Van de Ven; Rice, Odegaard, Madison; Saka, son, Trossard