I admire Spurs but without silverware it will fall apart
I KNOW what it’s like to be part of a talented team who miss out on trophies. You struggle to keep hold of your best players.
Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit were key members of our Double-winning side of 1998 but within two years they were gone.
After we watched Manchester United win the Treble in 1999, Anelka went to Real Madrid. The following year, after defeat in the UEFA Cup final on penalties, Overmars and Petit left Arsenal.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are as valuable to Tottenham now but if Mauricio Pochettino does not start winning trophies, he risks a similar break-up of his side.
There is no denying that the power is starting to shift in North London. It happened the moment Tottenham finished above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years.
For so long, Arsenal have had it all their own way. Now Pochettino is building an extremely talented, exciting young side with an English core that every Premier League manager would crave.
Just watch Christian Eriksen for Denmark to see how much Pochettino has improved his players.
It is not just the leading lights such as Eriksen, Kane and Alli who have developed.
I particularly like the way he gives a second chance to players. Both Moussa Sissoko and Son Heung-min did not have the best first seasons at the club but have since come on in leaps and bounds.
If Spurs’ progress was to continue for years to come, the alarm bells would be ringing at Arsenal.
Yet while Tottenham’s rivals are admiring their squad, nobody is looking over in envy at their trophy cabinet. For all the plaudits, Spurs are yet to win a major honour under Pochettino. This February will mark a decade since Tottenham’s last piece of silverware, a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the League Cup final. Since then, Arsene Wenger’s side have lifted the FA Cup three times. If today’s clash was at White Hart Lane or Wembley, Tottenham would be favourites. But at home, Arsenal are a different animal. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games at the Emirates — a home record only bettered by the Manchester clubs. Win today and they cut the gap to Tottenham to just a point. The Spurs supporters used to be so bitter when their rivals were winning titles. Now the Arsenal support will be more vociferous because their dominance has been snatched away. Arsenal do not go into this match with any fear. They know this game has come at the perfect time for them to reignite their season. After the departures of Anelka, Overmars and Petit, we were able to rebuild and win the Double in 2002 but there is no guarantee Pochettino would be able to do the same. To keep hold of this promising side and prove that a shift in power has taken place, Tottenham need to start winning trophies.