Arsenal host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
Martin Keown was asked whether Arsenal have conceded power to Tottenham.
For 21 seasons Arsenal reigned supreme in north London, finishing above Tottenham in each and every campaign from 1995 until 2017.
But heading into Saturday’s derby at the Emirates Stadium, it is Spurs looking down on their rivals and whom many have installed as favourites.
On whether the balance has now shifted, former Arsenal defender Keown wrote in his Daily Mail column on Thursday: “There was a power shift the moment Tottenham finished above Arsenal last season and beat them to qualification for the Champions League.”
For all his success as Spurs head coach, Mauricio Pochettino is still seeking his first piece of silverware, while Arsenal have won two FA Cups since the start of the Argentine’s reign in 2014.
And Keown added: “But until this Tottenham team starts to win trophies, they have not permanently tipped the balance in their favour.”
Keown though, was somewhat unbiased when it came to naming his composite north London XI, which contains seven Tottenham players and only four from Arsenal.
His team looks as follows:
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham); Hector Bellerin (Arsenal), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Danny Rose (Tottenham); Eric Dier (Tottenham); Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Dele Alli (Tottenham); Christian Eriksen (Tottenham), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal).
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