Has the North London tide turned?

Not since the days of Linekar and Hoddle and Gascoigne and co has North London been a shade of entirely white, but does it seem that the days of Arsenal holding the North London crown are gone? Full Time sheds some light on the debate.

Arsenal have long been one of world's greatest clubs and rightly so. A history built upon open and expansive passing football, with

roots found firmly in community and talent and skill, Arsenal have often been the King of North London looking down upon their bitter rivals, Tottenham. Battles between the two have forever been feisty and tight affairs and since the reformed Premier League was founded in 1992, Arsenal have consistently been stronger, more talented and more successful than Spurs, now however it would seem that the tide has now very much turned the opposite direction. A word to describe Spurs nowadays would be 'prosperous' - a term bandied around when Arsene Wenger first took charge of Arsenal in October 1996. Spurs now have the players - Alli, Kane, Erikson, Lamela, Dier, Vertonghen, Lloris, Dembele to name but a few - they have the manager, Mauricio Pochettino, getting the best out of his squad, and they have the new stadium being built to take the club to new heights. Doesn't it all sound familiar?

Of course it does. Spurs possess all the ingredients that Arsenal possessed all those 21 years ago, and you'd be a fool to bet against them winning a Premier League title within the next five years or so. Their side is packed with experience and youth, fronted by a manager with tactical nouse, an eye for a signing and with time on his hands. Look through the Tottenham starting lineup and there is fluidity, a natural balance within the side that enables the likes of Kane, Alli and Erikson to strut their stuff. Up front they have a man in Harry Kane who is comfortably described as a talisman. Tall, physical, pacey and an excellent finisher, Kane is the ideal figurehead. He's Spurs through and through, a 20 goals a season man and capable of both scoring the goals, and assisting them from the front. Behind him, Dele Alli is a revelation and an example of why the Football League is just as important a place to learn and ply your trade as the Premier League. Alli offers creativity, flair, pace and an eye for goal. Playing behind Kane, with their almost innate chemistry and connection on the field, Alli is the centrepiece of this current Spurs team and without him, ​they are significantly weaker. Beside him, Son and Erikson offer similar abilities with the latter a set piece specialist. Behind them, Wanyama and Dembele are the ideal holding men, with strength, tenacity and an ease on the ball, controlling the tempo and speed of the game has never been easier for a set of Tottenham midfielders. At the back, Vertonghen and Alderweireld are an ideal partnership with strength and pace supported by their good passing abilities. Beside them Walker and Rose - Rose being injured at the moment - perform the role of wing backs almost seamlessly, both naturally able to defend but also push forward and join the attack. Between the posts, Hugo Lloris is one of the Premier League's best keepers, perhaps even just behind David De Gea in those standings.

'Familiarity' though is a sensation Arsenal supporters know all too well. Having been eliminated at the Round of 16 stage of the Champions League for the last seven seasons, including this campaign, Arsenal fans have perhaps never been more berate and vaciforous in their criticism and disgust at Arsene Wenger's leadership of their side, especially after last nights 10-2 aggregate defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich. Munich, are undoubtedly a class above Arsenal, that goes without saying. Yet it is fair to say Arsenal have their own qualities and strengths, but more equally they have their faults - faults that more than often seem to rear their ugly head. So, what are these faults? And how can they be shifted?

Well, not easily and not quickly enough. First of all, Arsenal's defence is as strong as a tower of cards, and too often they topple with ease. While the signing of Mustafi at the heart of the defence has proved a good one, Koscielny is regularly a liability as he was against Bayern - albeit being sent off in bafflingly fashion having felled Robert Lewandowski. Likewise, Cech in goal is a safe pair of hands but David Ospina is unreliable and is too often thrown into games having spent much of the season as his counterparts understudy. Hector Bellerin is a promising proposition for the club though but at left back Nacho Monreal's capabilities to contain a tricky or pacey winger have frequently come unstuck. What is needed is two-fold: a change in formation, as well as another centre back with strong leadership qualities, as well as a defensively sound left back with the ability to run the channels and provide width and assistance for Arsenal's more attacking flair players. In this case, a leaf could be taken from Chelsea's book by utilising a rigid and solid back 5 with capable and flexible wing backs. Bellerin is certainly capable of performing the wing back role and Kieran Gibbs is a worth an opportunity on the opposite side. With Mustafi, Koscielny and potentially Rob Holding or Gabriel as the three central defenders, there is a strong basis and foundation for Arsenal to build from.

Mentality is the second flaw, and is the one most definitely far harder to tackle. If Arsenal are to overcome obstacles, defeats and dips in form, strong characters mentally and physically need to be acquired. As many in the media have long suggested, Arsenal are in desperate and dire need of leaders, players who can grab an game away at Stoke with a 0-0 scoreline and inspire and motivate the team to score the late winner. Or even when leading 1-0 or 2-1 with ten minutes to go and in need of calming and reassuring, leaders are needed to see out those games that Arsenal regularly let slip, not to mention the big games, the games against the top six - where the Gunners frailty and lack of experience is often gaping. Having strong mentality's and personality's throughout the team - from goalkeeper to strikers - as United did in 99 and Arsenal had during their famous 'Invincible' season, has become integral to Arsenal's progress from chokers and doubters to genuine stars of the game and winners of the Premier League. It is what's most needed in the long term.

Thirdly, it seems inevitable at the current time that Wenger may finally the leave the club - and now might well be the time. Despite steering the club through the financial hardship following the building of the Emirates Stadium, Wenger has not delivered

​Arsenal to another Premier League title or a Champions League win. Success in either competition is no mean feat, but persistent and consistent disappointment and defeats season after season has worn away the respect, the admiration and the support in his tenureship from a growing majority of Gunners supporters. The pretty passing football is of course a feather in his cap, but it would be fair to suggest the club cannot and will not progress any further with the Frenchman at the helm. A change of emphasis, philosophy and a change in thinking must be taken from the Arsenal board - a manager who can galvanise a squad lacking in confidence, lacking in leadership and strength in depth, and spring them forward rather than maintain their status as regular nearly men.

There comes a time when every football club hits a wall, whether that be made of stone and mortar, brick, paper or wood, a change has to take place. Under Wenger, Arsenal have come as far as they can. The role he has performed deserves admiration and applause, but while he has led the club through a time of difficulty and transition, their newly noisy neighbours have been awoken and overtaken them on the high road towards Premier League success. Make no mistake about it, Arsenal are a sleeping giant, but right now, Spurs are an active volcano and they're ready and they're firing.