Top 5 reasons why Spurs are the stronger team in North London

This Sunday’s North London derby will be more than just about bragging rights for Arsenal and Spurs. It’ll also be a match which will show that which of the two teams is in a better position to qualify for the Champions League next season. On paper, Spurs’ current squad is superior to Arsenal’s. But football games aren’t won on paper. However, here are 5 reasons why I think Spurs have the edge over Arsenal in the upcoming North London derby:

Stronger squad

Tottenham have a strong squad

The first and most obvious reason is that Spurs currently possess a squad that is stronger than that of their North London rivals. Arsenal have failed to strengthen their squad at all so far this summer, whereas, Spurs have gone all-out to ensure that they get Champions League football next season.

Arsene Wenger’s policy of ‘buying players at the right price’ may very well come back to haunt him this season. The fact that some of his squad members have been struggling with injuries recently is also a cause for concern given the depth (or lack of it) in his squad.

Stable midfield

Mikel Arteta will be missed

Arsenal are currently missing Mikel Arteta, arguably their only top-class defensive midfielder, through injury. The other player the Gunners have for that position is Abou Diaby, who is also out with a long-term injury. While they have re-signed former Gunner Mathieu Flamini, it remains to be seen how that transfer turns out.

However, Spurs’ current midfield options are far more balanced. They can call upon Etienne Capoue or Sandro to play as defensive midfielders while one of Paulinho and Moussa Dembele can partner them. Football games are often won in midfield and in this case, it’s pretty clear which of the two clubs has a stronger midfield to call upon for the game.

Better form

Tottenham have been grinding out results

While Tottenham have won both games thanks to solitary goals from Roberto Soldado, the fact of the matter is that they’re in better form than Arsenal, who seem to be fluctuating between a few extremes. A shock loss against Aston Villa was followed up by decent wins against Fenerbahce (Champions League qualification) and Fulham.

On the other hand, Tottenham have been winning matches domestically as well as in Europe, and given that they have signed quite a few new players already, that’s a good sign for them. With Arsenal, there’s always that slight feeling that something could go wrong at any minute.

Showing ambition in the transfer market

High ambitions for Daniel Levy

It says a lot that Spurs have been the busiest English club in the Premier League during this transfer window, splashing out cash on many quality players in order to ensure that they make the Champions League this season. The same can’t be said about Arsenal, who have signed a grand total of two players (Yaya Sanogo and Mathieu Flamini) on free transfers.

And while Arsene Wenger has remained defiant regarding the club’s ability to compete at the highest level, his moves in the transfer market present a very different side of the story.

Forward-thinking manager

A way forward? AVB and Arsene Wenger

In Andre Villas-Boas, Spurs have a talented young manager who is looking to prove himself. His ideas regarding the game are progressive, something that can’t really be said about Arsene Wenger.

If Spurs can keep hold of Villas-Boas for a long time and let him build his own team, they may very well become a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League.