Arsenal will play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in what is expected to be a highly entertaining North London derby in the Premier League. Both teams come into this game at the back of a loss and so both sets of players should have enough motivation to go all out in search of the three points and not settle for a draw.
The upcoming league encounter has the makings of an exciting contest and to celebrate the occasion, let’s take a look at the combined North London XI including players from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur (Only eligible players have been included).
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
The Tottenham manager has shown in the recent past that he can take his team to new heights. Hence, Pochettino will be the manager of the combined XI even though his side are currently trailing Arsenal by two points in the Premier League table after three gameweeks.
GK: Bernd Leno
The German goalkeeper might not be a world champion like Hugo Lloris, but he has proved his worth as a capable shot-stopper for the Gunners over the past couple of years. Comparatively, Lloris is currently on the decline and so Leno should get the vote to start ahead of the Frenchman.
CB: Sokratis Papastathopoulos
The Greek defensive ace is more reliable than David Luiz at the back and has more experience than Spurs’ Davinson Sanchez. Hence, he should lineup as part of the North London XI’s back three.
CB: Toby Alderweireld
The Belgian centre-back can still be one of the best defenders in the Premier League when he is playing with confidence on the pitch.
CB: Jan Vertonghen
The former Ajax star should be a guaranteed starter as he is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the English top-flight.
RWB: Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are the only fit players on both sides who will find it natural to operate as a right-sided wing-back. However, the Frenchman should get the nod because of his experience and his ability to cause problems in the opposition half.
CM: Christian Eriksen
The Danish playmaker will be the creative force in midfield as he looks to orchestrate some decent goal-scoring chances for others going forward.
CM: Lucas Torreira
The Uruguayan talent’s tireless worth ethic and hunger to do well on the pitch should earn him a start alongside Eriksen at the centre of the combined North London XI midfield.
LWB: Danny Rose
The English left-back is probably the most talented full-back when compared with the likes of Ben Davies, Sead Kolasinac and Nacho Monreal. However, Kolasinac has been in great form for Arsenal going forward in the past season, but he would still narrowly miss out to Rose as he lacks pace in the final third.
LS: Heung-min Son
The South Korean winger can be a match-winner on his day. He has an unpredictable style of playing the beautiful game and has scored some crucial goals for Spurs at the highest level.
ST: Harry Kane
The English frontman is arguably the best number nine in European football. Hence, there is no doubt about his place as the centre-forward of this combined XI.
RS – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Gabon international is a prolific goal-scorer which makes an essential member of the front three. However, Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Moura are honourable mentions for his spot as well.
