In the lead up to this fixture last season, plenty of composite XIs didn’t include one Arsenal player.
Asked to pick the best side from all those available, many seasoned observers went for a Tottenham full-house. It was difficult to argue against: Mauricio Pochettino’s talented bunch had proved the more impressive for a few seasons.
As Unai Emery tried to instil new ideas following 22 years of Arsene Wenger, the team up the road had settled into a way of playing that had transformed the club from pretenders to contenders.
Mind you, that didn’t stop Arsenal from running out 4-2 winners on that December day. Perhaps wounded by all the talk of Tottenham’s superiority, the home side bared their teeth to grab all the spoils.
As for composite XIs, it will be interesting to see what people think now, when so much uncertainty swirls around Spurs.
With the future of Christian Eriksen up in the air, with Jan Vertonghen mysteriously left on the sidelines and with others searching for top form, choosing a best XI from these old rivals is no longer so straightforward.
It makes you wonder whether the gap is closing a little, whether Arsenal are making up ground on their neighbours.
Despite losing comfortably to Liverpool last week, my old team look to be making progress with their new arrivals.
Nicolas Pepe (below) should certainly add a bit of chutzpah in attack, while Dani Ceballos will supply craft once he comes to terms with the intensity. In terms of stability, you could argue that the Gunners are actually in a better position than Spurs right now.
Emery knows the make-up of his squad for the long battle ahead. The Spaniard knows what he’s got to work with, whether you think that’s good enough or not.
Pochettino, by contrast, isn’t quite sure, which is bound to have an effect on the dressing room. Some players may be wondering where this season is heading, especially if Eriksen abandons ship.
That said, such thoughts will be forgotten for 90 minutes on Sunday. As proved last year, logic and reason tend to count for nothing in the north London derby.
