One of the most famous fixtures on the Premier League calendar will take place at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon as Arsenal welcome Tottenham Hotspur for the North London derby.
Arsenal are currently 10th in the Premier League table, seven points behind seventh-placed Tottenham, who are have pulled themselves back into contention for a possible top-four finish.
Spurs are now just five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand and will enter this weekend's contest off the back of five straight wins in all competitions.
Jose Mourinho's side recorded a 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the league last weekend before beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie on Thursday night.
Arsenal, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Burnley in their last league contest but were also victorious in the Europa League on Thursday, beating Olympiacos 3-1 away from home in the first leg of their round-of-16 clash.
Some of the Premier League's biggest talents will be on display here and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players available for the contest.
The goalkeeping spot in this particular XI was difficult to choose as both Bernd Leno and Hugo Lloris have had their problems this season. Tottenham's Lloris has kept nine Premier League clean sheets this term, while Arsenal's Leno has eight, and both stoppers have been operating behind shaky defences. Lloris, on paper, is superior, but the 34-year-old has made a number of mistakes this season, meaning that Leno gets the nod.
The back four was also tough to select as it would be fair to say that the two teams are stronger in the forward areas. Sergio Reguilon and Kieran Tierney are the best two full-backs in both squads, though, and Tierney is named at right-back for the purposes of this team, with Reguilon, who has impressed since his arrival from Real Madrid, featuring on the left.
Gabriel Magalhaes and David Luiz are certainly bigger names than Arsenal teammate Pablo Mari, but the latter gets the nod in this side, having impressed since returning from a calf problem. The 27-year-old has started his side's last three Premier League games and is expected to be in the home team's XI on Sunday. The other centre-back spot in the side goes to Toby Alderweireld, who edges out teammates Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, with the duo struggling for form this term.
Further forward, Thomas Partey has proved his class for Arsenal when fit, and the Ghana international is an automatic pick in the middle of the park. There are certainly more talented options than Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but the Denmark international has been a key player for Mourinho's side this season, and he would be needed in this team for balance considering the four players ahead of him.
Bukayo Saka simply could not be left out of this side, with the teenager becoming one of Arsenal's most important players. The 19-year-old has scored six times and registered seven assists in 33 appearances in all competitions this term and is chosen ahead of the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lucas Moura and Nicolas Pepe.
Gareth Bale also makes the team, with the Wales international starting to find his form after a tough period. The 31-year-old has now scored four times in his last three Premier League appearances and has 10 goals in 23 outings in all competitions this term, which is a solid return for the on-loan attacker.
Son Heung-min has not always been at his best for Spurs in recent weeks, with the South Korean actually only scoring once in the league since the start of January. A record of 13 goals and nine assists in 27 Premier League appearances is an indication of his importance to Mourinho's side, though, and it was not a difficult decision to choose him as part of a three with Saka and Bale behind Harry Kane.
There was a slight doubt over Kane's fitness when the striker had to be replaced against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night, but the 27-year-old is expected to shake off a minor knee complaint to lead the away side's line. Kane has scored 26 times and provided 16 assists in 37 outings for Spurs this term, including 16 goals and 13 assists in the Premier League, while he is also the all-time leading goalscorer in North London derbies with 11.
Video prediction
Watch the Sports Mole Football Shorts prediction for this game below:
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