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There has long been talk of a supposed power shift in north London.
Back when Arsenal were the dominant force, it was Tottenham Hotspur who were always being tipped to finally claw their way back in front of the Gunners and become the foremost team in the area.
That has, quite clearly, already happened, but now there is another transformation underway.
Indeed, Spurs have enjoyed quite the couple of seasons. They have routinely challenged for the Premier League title, have recently moved into a sparkling new stadium, the biggest in the capital, and reached the Champions League final in 2018/19. They have also just spent over £50m on Tanguy Ndombele, the revered Lyon midfielder who was linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus.
Their season is defined by optimism and the hope of bigger and better things to come. A trophy does not feel too far away.
And then there’s Arsenal.
One only needs to look at their squad list to see they aren’t quite the force they were under Arsene Wenger as the Invincibles swept their way to the Premier League title.
They have a fine goalkeeper in Bernd Leno, but their defence is, by and large, an absolute mess. Hector Bellerin is their best defender and he’s known more for his attacking runs than his actual defending. Shkodran Mustafi is somehow still at the club, while Laurent Koscielny recently refused to travel on their pre-season tour, reportedly because he wants a move.
That’s Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal’s captain. Their midfield could use some trimming too, with the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Matteo Guendouzi both patently average. Granit Xhaka is fine and would probably look quite good in a better team.
As for the attacking ranks, both Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can score goals but Mesut Ozil – despite his mini pre-season revival – is anonymous all too regularly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan has flopped to the point where Alex Iwobi gets in the team regularly.
Now take a look at those names and compare with the Spurs starting XI. Only Bellerin has a chance of making it into Pochettino’s best team and, even then, Serge Aurier might edge him out.
And then there are the transfers.
Arsenal, it has been claimed, don’t really have any money. A transfer budget of £45m would have been brilliant a decade ago but now? It buys you Lewis Dunk – if reports are to believed – and leaves you absolutely no change.
Spurs have spent more than the Gunners’ entire budget on Ndombele.
The only glimmer of a silver lining manifested on Thursday as Arsenal sealed a season-long loan deal for Dani Ceballos, a player who had consistently been linked with their north London rivals in recent weeks.
And then further good news poured in as William Saliba’s transfer was also confirmed, though he will return to Saint Etienne on loan for the 2019/20 season.
Another attacking-minded player and a teenager plying his trade in a different country won’t resolve Arsenal’s multitude of pressing defensive problems and, if they enter the season with largely what they have, what is the realistic aim?
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They aren’t anywhere near the stratosphere of Manchester City and Liverpool when it comes to the talent of their squad and, as discussed, they’re worse than Spurs – and probably Chelsea.
It’s top-four or bust and then hope for some luck in the cups. But even in the latter, they’ll have to hope they don’t play City or Liverpool. When they faced Spurs in the Carabao Cup last season, they lost 2-0 at the Emirates. Manchester United beat them in the FA Cup fourth round.
They could do well in the Europa League – Arsenal reached the final in 18/19, only to be absolutely battered by Chelsea – but, even then, it’s almost a consolation prize when Spurs will be playing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
What has been written here will be remarkably familiar for a generation of Spurs fans who grew up watching Arsenal win things, compete for things and spend big money on truly exceptional players. They had a progressive manager who was always striving to improve and always looking for an edge. Even when they didn’t win, they competed in the way they knew how, sticking to a tried and tested gameplan that won fans the world over.
Spurs, meanwhile, were hoping to finish fourth, desperately clawing to some form of relevance. Any player who came in and succeeded was lured away by a bigger, hungrier club with deeper pockets. Derby days meant everything because it was all they had.
The times have changed, the tables turned.
Arsenal now embody what Spurs used to be. They have become everything they used to mock when they were at the top of the tree.
It will take a truly gargantuan effort to ensure there’s another power shift in north London.
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