Arsenal-Tottenham Hotspur combined XI for the 2013-14 season

Arsenal make a trip to the White Hart Lane tonight, with both teams in contrasting moods. The Gunners come into the game with their heads held high after their Champions League exit against Bayern Munich, whereas Spurs come with the players languishing, following a 3-1 defeat against Benfica in the Europa League.

With 6 points separating these two North London sides, we have a look at their combined 11 based upon the player performances so far to warm you up for the game!

Goalkeeper:

Wojciech Szczesny

Wojciech Szczesny

It’s no secret to anyone; the Hugo Lloris has not lived up to his much hyped standards this year. The French international is still rated among the best shot-stoppers in the world, but his ordinary outings between the sticks have let him down.

Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny on the other hand has been outstanding this season. He has abolished all the fancy monikers he was tagged with and has answered his critics with maturity. Last season, many Gunners’ fans questioned his consistency issues and also his ball distribution was quite apparently shoddy.

This year though, the Pole has done remarkably well. With 54% ball punches in the box as compared to a meager 40% from last season, his presence in the box has improved considerably. Lloris on the flip side has been seen caught in two minds more often than not. His distribution has also been poor with only 50% of his passes ending at a Tottenham player’s feet.

Defenders:

Kyle Walker – Per Mertesacker – Laurent Koscielny – Jan Vertonghen

Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny

This defence might not ideally be the best defence in the league, but the on any given day, they will do the job and give you that much coveted clean sheet (given they don’t face Manchester City).

The only tough decision was to not pick Bacary Sagna over the England right-back Kyle Walker. The latter has arguably not had the season of his dreams, but despite all of that, he gets the nod ahead of the much-unsettled French international who has been struggling with his fitness and form lately.

Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have both been pivotal for Arsenal this year. Their defensive styles complement each other and they usually make up for each other’s weaknesses. Tottenham’s defence doesn’t really fall in the same class. Vlad Chiriches, who has been immense in the Europa League, had a decent shout, but he could only make the substitutes bench.

Belgian international Jan Vertonghen might be a centre back on paper, but his performances as a left back certainly get the nod over that of most left backs in the Premier League. Kieran Gibbs didn’t really stand a chance.

Centre Midfielders:

Moussa Dembele – Aaron Ramsey (injured)

Moussa Dembele and Aaron Ramsey

Again, picking these two men was not a difficult decision to make. Moussa Dembele has been at his usual best this season. He might not be preferred over Christian Eriksen in the attacking role, but he has proved that he has enough mantle to withstand the weight of the defensive midfield.

On paper, he has not been the most eye-catching personnel, but every time he has the ball, Spurs fan breathe easy. His passing percentage fails to fall below 90 and that’s really special given he has played in 6 different positions so far this season.

Aaron Ramsey makes a fitting partner for the Belgian. The 23-year-old Welsh international lit up the opening half of the Premier League with his sublime passing and goals, something that was only halted by an injury he sustained on Boxing Day. With 10 goals and 7 assists in his 22 appearances, Ramsey has been one of the stars of this season.

Attacking Midfield:

Santi Cazorla – Mesut Ozil (injured) – Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen and Mesut Ozil

Yes, I know that little rebel in you wanted me to do it, but I haven’t. Both Eriksen and Ozil make the starting line-up and a little birdie tells me, they’ll do well together. They are both accompanied by the ever-so-crafty Santi Cazorla. The prospect of watching these three wizards play together is mouth-watering indeed.

Ever since Tottenham bought Christian Eriksen from Ajax, fans have compared him with Mesut Ozil of Arsenal. The German international since his move from Real Madrid has failed to make a considerable impact that does justice to his price tag, but what most fans forget is that Oliver Giroud doesn’t fall in the same bracket as Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 22-year-old Dane has overwhelmed the supporters on the other hand. His £12.5 million transfer is easily amongst the bargains of the season. With 8 goals and 8 assists, he has done well competing with the man who has topped the assist charts for 3 seasons.

When Ozil arrived at the Emirates, many people questioned Santi Cazorla’s role for the Gunners, but thanks to his versatility, he flourished with the former. He quite easily gets the nod over the very inconsistent Lukas Podolski and Andros Townsend.

Striker:

Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor

He may well be a very inconsistent personality on the football pitch, but when he strikes, you are bound to marvel at his brilliance. The 26-year-old Togo international has made 15 appearances this season and has racked up 10 goals and 3 assists already.

The start of the season saw him being benched in favour of Spurs’ record signing Roberto Soldado, but that was soon to change. With the Spaniard not scoring enough goals, interim manager Tim Sherwood decided to give the former Arsenal man the chance.

Adebayor has showed this season exactly why he is on top club’s radar. Having played for Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid, he is one of the few Spurs players who has a decent Champions League experience. Oliver Giroud might be loved by the Gunners faithful, but having scored 14 goals in more than double appearances than that of the former, he doesn’t really make it to this 11.

Substitutes:

Hugo Lloris, Kieran Gibbs, Vlad Chiriches, Bacary Sagna, Mikel Arteta, Theo Walcott (injured), Oliver Giroud.