Arsenal and Tottenham have both made strong starts to the new season ahead of the north London derby (Picture: Getty)
Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent insists a north London derby combined XI should consist entirely of Arsenal players.
The two great rivals go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday with both having made identical starts to the new season.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been economical if not spectacular in collecting 13 points from 15 available in the Premier League, but looked back to their free flowing best in midweek, crushing PSV Eindhoven 4-0 on their Champions League return after a six-year absence.
Spurs, meanwhile, appear rejuvenated under the management of Ange Postecoglou who has got a tune out of a group of players that grew disenchanted with the methods employed by his predecessor Antonio Conte.
Summer signings James Maddison, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have all hit the ground running, while the likes of Yves Bissouma have been given a new lease of life.
Darren Bent couldn’t find any room for James Maddison or Son Heung-min in his north London derby combined XI
Despite their undoubted improvement, Bent feels Arsenal have superior players, when everyone available, in every position on the pitch.
Starting with the goalkeepers, Bent told talkSPORT: ‘Ramsdale but I think Raya (will be picked). I’d love to keep both happy but Ramsdale should be someone’s No.1, he’s good enough. He needs to go and play football.
In midfield and attack, the former England striker added: ‘Ben White at right back, brilliant. Two centre halves Saliba and Gabriel. I think for Arsenal (White) is a right-back. I think the partnership between Saliba and Gabriel is so strong you can’t break that up.
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Left-back Zinchenko the whole inverted midfield player, Zinchenko is fantastic at that. Tierney just couldn’t play that inverted role as well as Zinchenko, he was about straight lines. We had Timber as well but he got injured.
‘Midfield I’m going Rice, Partey, Odegaard. He (Maddison) doesn’t play holding midfield does he?
‘Saka, Gabriel Jesus down the middle and Martinelli. The reason I’ve not put Son in there he wasn’t great last season, he scored a hat-trick playing up top, he’s not played well on the left.’
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