Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur collide in a North London Derby ravaged by injuries on Sunday afternoon.
The two teams are longtime rivals, and the pair rarely combine to dull effect. While it’s a fixture neutrals have come to enjoy, both sets of supporters seldom relish the arrival of derby day, even if one team (Arsenal) has dominated the head-to-head duel since the Premier League’s inception.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are top of the table despite a host of absences in attack, while Thomas Frank is currently dealing with the worst injury record in the division. Still, these squads are deep enough to produce an impressive combined XI.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s side based on availability.
Arsenal vs. Tottenham Combined XI (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya
Tottenham supporters remain divided on Guglielmo Vicario, who has his flaws, but is statistically one of the Premier League’s shot-stoppers. Still, the Italian isn’t quite on the level of Arsenal’s man between the posts.
Spurs missed out on David Raya back in 2023 before pivoting to Vicario. The Spaniard has since claimed back-to-back Golden Gloves. Raya leads the league with seven clean sheets in 11 games.
RB: Jurriën Timber
The Dutchman’s level of performance has been pretty remarkable since returning from a long-term knee injury at the end of his debut season in 2024. He’s even managed to avoid the muscle injuries that seem to arise post-ACL tear.
Jurriën Timber has been a model of consistency down Arsenal’s right for the past two seasons, excelling as a one-on-one defender. He’s impressively sturdy, and his inability to dip below a ’good’ level of performance means he pips Pedro Porro.
CB: William Saliba
Arsenal’s rise from top-four hopefuls to perennial title challengers coincides with William Saliba’s emergence. He’s been critical in the Gunners’ success, with his recovery speed supplying Mikel Arteta with the requisite confidence to heighten Arsenal’s defensive line.
The French international was regarded as one of Europe’s brightest centre back prospects when he was breaking through at St. Etienne. Now, he’s among the continent’s best at his position.
CB: Cristian Romero
These are two excellent centre back pairings, and it feels fair for both to have one representative, especially with Gabriel missing on Sunday through injury.
Micky van de Ven is a unicorn defender capable of doing some utterly freakish things, but Cristian Romero is more critical to Spurs’ success under Thomas Frank. The Argentine has stood tall on the grandest occasions for club and country, concluding last season with a man of the match performance in the Europa League final.
Romero is not the rash, hot-headed liability you think he is. The Argentinian has embraced his leadership responsibilities in north London and is often the man who sets the tone for the Lilywhites.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori
This was a tough one. Riccardo Calafiori’s continuity this season means he just gets in over Destiny Udogie, who’s had a couple of fitness issues.
Calafiori endured an injury-hit debut year, but he’s snatched his place back from confident youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly. He’s by no means a perfect defender, but the Azzurri international is a maverick in possession. Calafiori is adept infield and seemingly never too far away from doing something a little bit special in the final third.
CM: Martín Zubimendi
It’s fair to say that Arsenal struck gold with Martín Zubimendi, having moved on from Jorginho and Thomas Partey in the summer. He’s everything Gunners supporters thought he was.
The Spanish international is the brains of Arsenal’s engine room, helping Arteta’s side evolve into a more vertical unit in possession through subtle actions that compromise defensive structures. He’s just a lovely footballer.
CM: João Palhinha
João Palhinha may struggle to pass a ball forward, but that’s why you partner him with someone who can.
The Portuguese international joined the club on loan in the summer, and has undoubtedly supplied this Tottenham team with attributes they were previously lacking. He’s an outstanding ball-winner who’s been a surprising contributor in the final third for the Lilywhites.
Use him more sparingly and it’s hard to imagine a Spurs supporter complaining about his presence.
CM: Declan Rice
Ideally, we’d want a more subtle creative operator to complete our midfield three, but Xavi Simons and Eberechi Eze have both had relatively slow starts in north London, while Martin Ødegaard has missed much of 2025–26 through injury.
There simply has to be a place for Declan Rice, who can claim to be the Premier League’s most dominant midfielder. The all-encompassing Englishman will typically cover every blade of grass on matchday, and his remarkable accuracy from set-pieces has emerged as a crucial weapon for the Gunners.
RW: Bukayo Saka
The standout England international scored his third open-play goal of the season against Sunderland before the November break, having saved his best work post-hamstring tear last term for the latter stages of the Champions League.
Saka thus isn’t yet at inevitable force in the mould of Mohamed Salah, but Arteta expects plenty of him down Arsenal’s right. The winger is ever so strong with the ball at his feet, and he does have a knack for reminding us all just how good he is.
ST: Mikel Merino
We’re not exactly spoilt for choice here. Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Dominic Solanke are all out, while Viktor Gyökeres isn’t expected to return from his injury setback this weekend.
Richarlison returned to the scoresheet against Manchester United before the break, but he remains a polarising figure in north London as a result of his unreliability as a focal point. Mathys Tel boasts promise and Randal Kolo Muani could be masked up for the derby, but Mikel Merino’s efficiency when utilised up top cannot be ignored.
The converted midfielder is brilliant in the air and so often in the right place at the right time, exemplified by his recent brace against Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
LW: Mohammed Kudus
Wilson Odobert is developing nicely and Leandro Trossard has come up clutch once or twice this season, but Mohammed Kudus has to find his way in the team. He’s trained in the build-up to the derby, and will play a crucial role in the away side enjoying a semblance of attacking success at the Emirates down the right flank.
Kudus has operated as a one-man brigade at times for a Spurs attack that often looks imbalanced, with his standout press-resistance and strength in possession allowing him to work his way out of unfavourable situations.
The Ghanaian had a quiet month before the November internationals, partly because of injury, but he opened up with a goal and four assists in his first seven Premier League games for the Lilywhites.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal vs. Tottenham Combined XI: Gunners Claim Bragging Rights.
