It hasn't exactly been a banner year for either Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners are mired in another transitional season under manager Mikel Arteta, with inconsistent play reflected in their current ninth-place standing on the Premier League table. Meanwhile, Spurs have come down from an early-season high to nestle into sixth place, which is far off the pace desired by Jose Mourinho for his veteran-laden side.
As closest rivals, the teams are always going to be compared to one another. In a season of disappointment (so far), it's easy to look to the future for some hope for the North London derby participants.
On DAZN's weekly soccer show "Shoot-Out," hosts Greg Brady and Steve Bower debate the two clubs' respective outlooks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer changes depending on how far out you want to look.
"I think Arsenal have a slight edge to accomplish more and swing the pendulum their way soon enough. But I do think they've got the better long-term future," Brady said. "I think this season was a real litmus test for Tottenham. And to some extent — not all extent — I think the players led Jose down, and I think he led them down as well. So I think [Tottenham's] future's a little more uncertain with players in their prime, whereas Arsenal's got some young guns."
It's apparent that Tottenham is built for immediate success, with players like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Gareth Bale, and Hugo Lloris all in their late 20s and early 30s. According to Bower, that means the Spurs can turn things around quickly.
"The immediate future, if you're talking about these two North London clubs, might be more promising for Tottenham in terms of instant delivery," Bower said. "But we'll go back to the manager. He has done it before, and these players have got to a Champions League [final] before, and some of them have got to second in the Premier League before. And quite simply, if you've got Harry Kane, you've always got a chance as he could just pull something from somewhere."
Both Bower and Brady agree that Arsenal's youth could develop into something great for Arteta, but the question with young stars is always whether they'll truly live up to their promise.
"I look at Arsenal right now, and they've showed me there's more potential than I thought in October-November," Brady said. "There's young weapons that even, Steve, I think a Chelsea would be kind of jealous of. If the viewers would draft an under-23 [all-Premier League] team, you're coming up with a few Arsenal players first."
Catch full episodes of "Shoot-Out," where Bower and Brady discuss the biggest topics of the soccer world, weekly on DAZN.