Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are undisputed picks in our combined Tottenham-Arsenal XI… while James Maddison makes the cut for Spurs – but which World Cup winner misses out?

The second north London derby of the season is upon us on Sunday afternoon, as both Tottenham and Arsenal enter the run in for their respective 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.

The reverse fixture saw the points shared at the Emirates, with Son Heung-Min bagging a brace to earn the then-league-leaders a hard-fought point, but with the title race as it is, Arsenal will need to take all three this time to stand any chance of lifting their first Premier League trophy in 20 years.

Spurs, on the other hand, will be looking to close the gap on Aston Villa to clinch fourth place and return to the Champions League.

Arsenal have been formidable at times this season, but how many of Ange Postecoglou’s squad would get into a starting XI alongside Mikel Arteta’s title contenders?

Here is Mail Sport’s combined Arsenal-Spurs XI…

The points were shared at the Emirates in September, with Son Heung-Min bagging a brace

Bukayo Saka netted for the Gunners, while Cristian Romero scored an unfortunate own goal

Formation: 4-3-3 

Goalkeeper: David Raya

While Guglielmo Vicario has been an impressive successor to former Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, Arsenal’s league leading 16 clean sheets this season cannot be overlooked, and David Raya has been an integral part of that.

After replacing Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s number one early on this season, the Spaniard has been a key piece for the Gunners in their charge for the title and has proved himself to be one of the best keepers in the Premier League.

David Raya gets the nod in goal, with the Spaniard boasting a league leading 16 clean sheets

Left back: Micky van de Ven

There’s no doubt this spot would have gone to Destiny Udogie if he was fit, as the young Italian has been impressive for Postecoglou’s side in his debut season.

Arteta has struggled to find the answer at left back, with questions being asked of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior all season long, so it would be wrong to put a red shirt in just for the sake of it. Micky van de Ven therefore takes the spot.

The Dutch international has played left back for his country, so wouldn’t be completely out of position, and it would be wrong not to include him as he’s been one of Spurs’ best signings. 

When fit, the difference is night and day in Tottenham’s backline.

Although Micky van de Ven is slightly out of position, the Dutch defender fills in at left back 

Right Back: Ben White

Arguably one of the tougher ones, as Pedro Porro has been fantastic down the right-hand side for Spurs, and while the Spaniard is the favourable option going forward with his pace and quality on the ball, Ben White – who is originally a centre half – has hardly put a foot wrong for Arsenal this year. 

The England international has not only been solid in defence for the Gunners, but has also contributed four assists and four goals, two of which came in their 5-0 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday night.

Ben White narrowly edges out Pedro Porro and scored two goals against Chelsea on Tuesday

Centre half: Gabriel Magalhaes

There is no better defensive partnership in the Premier League currently than the duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. 

Favoured by Arteta in 32 of the 34 league this season, the rock-solid partnership ranks first in clean sheets and last in goals conceded.

Gabriel has been the spine of Arsenal’s defence since 2020, and despite rumours of a move away for the Brazilian last summer, he has proved to be a mainstay in Arteta’s backline and one of the best defenders in the league.

Centre half: William Saliba

While it’s the partnership of Gabriel and Saliba that makes Arsenal’s defence so formidable, if you were to single out the better of the two, it would have to be William Saliba.

The Frenchman has started every game for the Gunners this season and has the most clean sheets of any player in the Premier League.

There is no better defensive duo in the top flight than Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba

Holding midfielder: Declan Rice

Thomas Partey was considered for this spot, but given the Ghanaian international has been injured for the majority of the season, and has featured in just 10 Premier League games for Arsenal, the holding midfielder spot goes to Arteta’s £100million marquee summer signing.

It’s not often you can say a player has lived up to a £100m price tag (see: Enzo Fernandez), and while the best is yet to come from the 25-year-old, it cannot be denied that Declan Rice has added much needed stability and quality to the base of Arsenal’s midfield this season.

Declan Rice has firmly lived up to his £100million price tag in his debut season at the Emirates

Centre midfield: James Maddison

Postecoglou hardly put a foot wrong in his first summer transfer window at Tottenham, addressing the teams’ weaknesses in key positions. 

No signing addressed Spurs’ creative problems more prominently than James Maddison. 

The creative ghost of Christian Eriksen has proved problematic for Spurs since the Dane’s exit from the club in 2020, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Antonio Conte all failing to address the hole in Tottenham’s attacking midfield. In steps Maddison.

While the latter end of the season has been less impressive for the former Leicester star, arguably due to his ankle injury in the middle of Spurs’ campaign, Maddison hit the ground running at the start of his debut campaign at the club.

He provided three goals and five assists in his first nine games, and added a much-needed creative spark to the side.

Despite a dip in form in recent months, James Maddison has proven to be an astute signing 

Centre midfield: Martin Odegaard

Without a shadow of a doubt Arsenal’s best player, Martin Odegaard has been a revelation for Arsenal since signing permanently for the Gunners in 2021.

With eight goals and eight assists to his name this season, Arsenal’s captain is a no brainer in this combined 11.

Norwegian star Martin Odegaard, 25, is without a shadow of a doubt Arsenal’s best player

Left wing: Leandro Trossard

A year ago, it would have been hard to imagine Gabriel Martinelli’s spot on the left wing for Arsenal being heavily contested, but Leandro Trossard has impressed so much that he has been favoured to the Brazilian of late – and has produced more goals in fewer appearances.

The Belgium international continues to deliver in this Arsenal side and is becoming an integral part of their attack.

Leandro Trossard has been in such good form that he edges out team-mate Gabriel Martinelli

Right wing: Bukayo Saka

There can be no debate on this one. Whatever argument Spurs fans can muster up in favour of Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski, it will not stack up against Bukayo Saka’s 14 goals and nine assists in the Premier League this season.

Numbers aside, there are few better right wingers in the league than Arsenal’s top goal scorer.

There are few better right wingers in the league than Arsenal’s top goal scorer Bukayo Saka

Striker: Son Heung-Min

While his best position is out on the left, Arsenal’s lack of a clinical target man means Son will lead the line of this combined XI.

Harry Kane’s transfer to Bayern Munich in the summer may have put an end to the dynamic duo, but it certainly has not stopped Son in his tracks.

The South Korean has scored 15 times in the league this season along with nine assists, proving he is still a world class talent even without his former partner in crime.

Son Heung-Min has still proven to be a world class talent despite Harry Kane’s exit last summer

Full combined XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Van de Ven; Rice, Odegaard, Maddison; Saka, Son, Trossard