Arsenal 8-3 Tottenham! Gunners dominate our north London derby composite XI... but can Spurs prove us wrong on Saturday?

The last time Tottenham won at the Emirates, Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl in the World’ was No 1, WikiLeaks were in the process of releasing 250,000 American diplomatic cables and Roy Hodgson was wreaking the sort of havoc at Liverpool that wasn't rectified for years.

It was also around that period that a certain Gareth Bale began to make good on his early promise and become a driving force for Spurs. His goal, at 2-0 down, proved the catalyst to three precious points. Rafael Van der Vaart equalised before Younes Kaboul notched a late winner.

Since then, however, Tottenham have stagnated. They’re on a third manager since Harry Redknapp departed and don’t appear to be capable of touching the top four just yet. As we embark on the first north London derby of this season, Sportsmail picks a composite XI of Arsenal and Spurs ahead of the clash.

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris

While Wojciech Szczesny has become a more imposing figure between the sticks in the last 12 months, Lloris is a complete goalkeeper. Both are exemplary shot stoppers, but the Frenchman’s savvy reading of the game in acting as a sweeper pips it.

Right-back: Calum Chambers

Isn’t a right-back, but neither club are blessed with genuine quality in that area. Chambers is very impressive when play is ahead of him – already an astute reader of the game – and he’s no slouch going the other way.

Central defender: Per Mertesacker

Carries on surprising people. The poster boy for Arsenal’s failings during his first season, Mertesacker has relished the opportunity to go and dominate Premier League defenders after Arsene Wenger’s decision to drop his back four a touch deeper. There is a strong argument for Jan Vertonghen’s inclusion but the German is more consistent.

Posted by Unknown at 02:34

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook

Labels: sports