Arsenal v. Tottenham - which club has the greatest team?

This Sunday sees Arsenal and Spurs go head to head with one another in the greatest game of the Premiership season. Both North London sides have produced stars throughout the rich history of both teams. However, the debate over which club has produced the best XI rages on between N17 and N5 along the Seven Sisters divide. Who is the best of all time? The Lillywhites or the Gunners?

The greatest ever Spurs side for any Tottenham fan is the 1961 double winning side. Although the 1951 side provided the club with their first ever league title, the ‘61 side lives long in the memory of every Spurs fan lucky enough to have seen them play. Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay and John White were the legends amongst te great side, Bill Nicholson produced a team with verve, passion and goal scoring determination. The 1980’s produced an array of awesome talent down at White Hart Lane, and Mauricio Pochettino’s 2017 side amassed an amazing 86 points in the EPL. The highest total the club have managed in the Premiership era. However, it is the free flowing side of ‘61 that remains the greatest the Spurs have ever produced.

Arsenal meanwhile have produced 13 league title winners. The 1930’s Herbert Chapman and 1980’s George Graham teams produced many a great XI. FA Cup wins often complimented these league title sides, and the WM formation birthed by Chapman left a lasting impression on the English game. The 2004 Invincible side however are undoubtedly the greatest team Highbury have ever seen. Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Robert Pires produced the most beautiful football London has seen in the Premiership era. Apart from Spurs, the rest of the league simply accepted that nobody played football the way this Arsenal side managed too. Football turned into an art form.

So, which side is the best? More will be revealed as my build up to the North London derby continues all week …