Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Complete Positional Breakdown of North London Derby

This weekend's north London derby is one of the most highly-anticipated in years. 

Both sides come into this clash in excellent form and with their season's aspirations very much alive. That all goes on the line as the Premier League's best derby comes around once again. 

The season's first derby was something of an appetiser to this, the main event. Spurs eked out a deserved point after a resilient defensive performance at the Emirates that largely nullified Arsenal's attack. 

With both sides out for victory, this explosive clash will come down to the finest of margins all across the pitch. 

It's time to break down every position for this massive north London derby. 

NB: For the purposes of this positional breakdown, we will assume a three man midfield and, due to my reticence to split them up, count the centre-back partnership as one position. 

Goalkeeper

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Most positions in this derby breakdown will be difficult to split. There is something close to parity in virtually every outfield role. 

The same cannot be said of the goalkeeping position. 

Hugo Lloris has demonstrated a higher capacity than any other custodian in England this season. Even the most passionate supporter of Tottenham's rivals would begrudgingly admit envy of the Spurs keeper.

When Spurs were struggling for form at the beginning of the season, his consistency and reliability gave them breathing space. When Mauricio Pochettino was trying to integrate his new defence, Lloris' regularly breathtaking performances kept his team alive.

If Arsenal were permitted to field both David Ospina and Wojciech Szczesny, they would still struggle to match the Frenchman's brilliance.

There is no debate to be had. 

Defence

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For neither Tottenham nor Arsenal is defence a particular strength. 

The Gunners have the fifth-best defensive record in the Premier League while Spurs are ninth. Arsenal's form, too, is imposing. They've conceded just four goals in their past six league matches. Spurs have seen seven goals slip past Hugo Lloris. 

As a whole, Arsenal's defence appears to be superior but let's examine the competing lines man by man. 

Left-back

The signing of Ben Davies was supposed to signal the end of Danny Rose's Spurs career. In fact, it appears to have lit a fire under him and Rose is enjoying a vintage season. Davies has shown glimpses of his best form but has occasionally suffered from a lack of confidence. 

Davies remains defensively superior and Rose likely still has nightmares about last season's FA Cup derby match where he single-handedly surrendered the decisive advantage, so Davies will surely be selected. 

Nacho Monreal is Arsenal's starting left-back, with his defensive qualities making up for his lack of attacking threat. 

This is an evenly-matched positional battle but Monreal gets the nod due to his consistent recent form. 

Centre-back

The central-defensive partnerships for Spurs and Arsenal are remarkably similar. Both have, in their first-duos, an intelligent ball-playing defender alongside a physically imposing partner that lacks anything approaching pace.

These partnerships are very similar, but Federico Fazio's aggression makes him more of a liability if his team is dominating possession. Fazio backs himself to win the ball in every challenge and often forgets where he is on the pitch. This can leave his partner exposed, but he has been less guilty of this when playing with a capable partner. 

Arsenal's Per Mertesacker is similar in that his limitations must be taken into consideration in order to get the best out of him. 

Where Mertesacker is distinct from Fazio is in his more considered approach to defending. This makes him a safer player when his team is on top but more of a weakness if they are forced to defend in deeper areas. 

Given that Arsenal will likely dominate possession in the derby, Mertesacker and Fazio appear to be playing for the wrong teams. 

Jan Vertonghen and Laurent Koscielny are also very similar players but are more rounded defenders. Vertonghen has recently rediscovered the form that saw him named in the PFA's Team of the Year in his first season in England, while Koscielny appears to still be working back to full fitness. 

Arsenal's pairing win this battle on their longevity. They've played together for the better part of four seasons while Spurs' partnership is still developing. 

Right-back 

Arsenal's Hector Bellerin has won deserved plaudits in recent weeks for his all-action displays up and down the Gunners' right flank. His form has surprised many and minimised the impact of Mathieu Debuchy's injury-enforced absence. 

Kyle Walker's return to the right-back position at Spurs has been a revelation. During his prolonged time out of the game, Tottenham fans forgot what it was like to have a dynamic presence on the right flank. Walker energises counter-attacks and provides an insurance policy for the pace-deprived Fazio. 

While he is yet to reach his full ferocity since returning from injury, Walker beats out the young Bellerin at right-back. 

Midfield

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The midfield is key to any Premier League match. A battle between Tottenham and Arsenal is certain to be played out in the middle of the pitch. 

Santi Cazorla is one of the league's best players. It's evident to anyone that watches the little Spaniard play and yet he is often overlooked by fans of other clubs. He doesn't look like a footballing magician, but he is one. 

Cazorla gives Arsenal a quality that none of their other players provide. 

However, Mesut Ozil comes close. The German is a different kind of player. He moves far more gracefully with the ball and creates more for the players around him than Cazorla. 

Both are breathtakingly skilful but in slightly different ways. 

Ozil hasn't been able to consistently show his best form for Arsenal, but his performance against Aston Villa in the 5-0 victory indicates that he is approaching that level. 

The Gunners' midfield stability can come from a host of options. Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini and Francis Coquelin all provide different options and give the Arsenal middle a robustness that Ozil and Cazorla lack. 

Arsene Wenger could select two or even three of their number and push his more creative players into strictly attacking roles, but one thing is certain, he has plenty of options in midfield. 

Spurs' midfield selection is simpler. 

The return of Nabil Bentaleb from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Algeria gives them the perfect base in the middle. Alongside him, Ryan Mason, Tottenham's tenacious academy graduate, provides a mix of steel and silk. 

Ahead of them, or nominally on the left, Christian Eriksen is the equal of either of Arsenal's attackers. 

His exploits have been well-documented. Eriksen has demonstrated sufficient quality and match-winning skill to be worth a place in almost any team in Europe. 

While Wenger has options, Pochettino has steely confidence in his favoured setup. The return of Bentaleb lifts Spurs to the level of Arsenal but the Gunners just about have the edge. 

Attack

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Harry Kane is the standout player in attack for either side in this clash. His display against Chelsea was astonishing for many but, for Spurs fans, it was a little more expected.

Kane has been one of Spurs' best players in virtually every match he has played this season. Only Lloris and Eriksen can match Kane for consistency. 

Much to Spurs' relief, Arsenal's main man in attack, Alexis Sanchez, has been sidelined with injury and is unlikely to take part. 

Olivier Giroud, then, must take the reins as the tip of the Gunners' spear. The Frenchman is an excellent centre-forward, but his lack of headline moments is probably at the root of his tendency to fly somewhat under the radar. Giroud is not the equal of Kane, but he will prove a handful for Tottenham's defence and could even prove the difference. 

Danny Welbeck provides Arsenal with the option of playing two up front in the derby. It would be a gamble to do in such a fiercely-contested match, but it could equally give the Gunners an attacking edge. 

The wide-men on both sides are below their best for different reasons. 

Theo Walcott is still recovering from his almost year-long injury absence and, on the other side, Nacer Chadli had been away tending to personal matters, so he might be a little below match-fit. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in doubt and has largely been played as a midfielder, but his explosive pace would make him a real impact sub if he were fit enough for a place on the bench. 

Erik Lamela remains, frustratingly, a work in progress. He is yet to find consistency, but he has shown numerous examples of his brilliant best this season. Having now returned to full fitness after a calf injury, Lamela may be ready to announce himself in Spurs' biggest fixture of the season. 

As in midfield, Arsenal have more options while Spurs have a more settled lineup. The Gunners probably have a slight edge on paper, but the form of Kane is enough to give Tottenham the advantage. 

This derby seems to be finely balanced. Tottenham's individuals are in better form while Arsenal's results are better as a collective. Spurs have the advantage of the home crowd but the travelling Gooners are sure to make themselves heard. 

Across all the outfield positions, both sides are so close in quality that it makes it almost impossible to split them. The tie-breaker must be the goalkeeper. Hugo Lloris is the only player on either team that is so far superior to his direct opponent. If Lloris plays to his usual towering level, Arsenal will struggle to score.

If that's the case, Tottenham will have a great opportunity to break their mini-drought in this, the Premier League's greatest derby.