Arsenal have held dominance over Tottenham Hotspur for the whole Premier League era... until now! Mauricio Pochettino's side go into the North London derby as favourites

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In his new book Brave New World, Mauricio Pochettino provides a snapshot of the new order in North London football.

After a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in April and near-confirmation that Tottenham would finish above their rivals in the top-flight for the first time in 22 years, Pochettino took in the scene as he awaited a taxi.

'There was something different about the Tottenham supporters who rode past us; they had a spring in their step and a smile on their faces. The streets belonged to them; the Arsenal fans were nowhere to be seen.'

Arsenal's dominance over rivals Tottenham in the Premier League era is very much over

Mauricio Pochettino has turned Spurs into a feared force who are clearly superior to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger's Gunners host their rivals on Saturday - and start the game as underdogs

In previous times, Tony Adams or Martin Keown might have slapped that cutting on Arsenal's dressing room wall before Saturday's game. Nowadays, you wonder whether anyone at Arsenal will have noticed the barb at all.

From the boardroom to the dugout to the league table, Tottenham are now the cream of north London. No longer do they arrive into work on a Monday morning to be confronted by sniggers, wisecracks and punchlines.

Arsenal finished 11 points behind Tottenham last season and a victory this weekend for Pochettino's side will extend their lead to seven points by the third week of November.

Tottenham continue to make forward steps, celebrating glorious wins over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund as Arsenal negotiate Europe's backwaters in the Europa League. On every level, Tottenham appear to be in the ascendancy as Arsenal retreat.

Arsenal celebrate winning the title at White Hart Lane in 2004 - the peak of their dominance

Take, for example, the cases of wantaway players. On the eve of this Premier League season, Danny Rose decided the time was right to speak out against the club's modest wage structure.

It might have been the starting pistol for a torrent of dissent from the dressing-room. After all, by modern Premier League standards, these talents are underpaid.

Yet look how Spurs swiftly extinguished the flames. There was unison in the response. Chairman Daniel Levy fined Rose two weeks' wages, Mauricio Pochettino received an apology and on the pitch, Rose's deputy Ben Davies raised his game once more. Rose now faces a battle to recover his regular place in the team. Above all, Rose's existing deal runs until 2021 and therefore Spurs could approach the situation with a large degree of authority.

Tottenham's superiority was encapsulated in how they dealt with the Danny Rose situation

Then consider the continuing dramas surrounding Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. The club is splintered in the boardroom and a slipshod approach to contract renewals leaves both players running down their deals. The club dare not clamp down on either player for flirtations with the Manchester clubs and Arsenal's indecisiveness over Sanchez almost led to a deadline day sale to rivals Manchester City. Arsenal do not have the talent in their squad to challenge their two leading lights.

Arsenal are the sick man of the Premier League top six, an ailing club toiling under a the strain of a decade-long malaise.

When it came this week to forming a composite XI of the two teams, I found myself with a full house of Tottenham players. In every position, a more vibrant and consistent Tottenham player emerged. Alexis Sanchez remains the outstanding Arsenal talent but does his form this season merit the exclusion of Dele Alli - scorer of two goals against Real Madrid - or Christian Eriksen, who so wonderfully carried his country to the World Cup this week?

Arsenal meanwhile are in disarray as Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil run down their contracts

Yet for all Tottenham's forward momentum, Saturday brings a significant test of their mettle. Having demonstrated their poise in Europe, Tottenham must now land more significant blows on their domestic rivals.

Tottenham have not won at Arsenal since 2010 - back in the days Gareth Bale was a left back and they had Alan Hutton operating on the opposite flank. That victory is one of only two in the Premier League and the previous came in May 1993.

In four visits to Manchester United as Tottenham manager, Pochettino has seen his team lose four games without scoring a goal. In their two major Premier League fixtures this season, Tottenham came up short against Chelsea at Wembley and Manchester United at Old Trafford.

If Tottenham's ambition is to look upwards and challenge Manchester City, they must match up to Pep Guardiola's new barometer in these showcase games. Guardiola has played Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal this season and taken nine points from three games. His side scored nine goals and conceded one in those fixtures.

Tottenham have not won at Arsenal since 2010 - now is the time this must change for Spurs

It is a mighty ask but this is the level to which Tottenham must aspire if their run of title-race hard-luck stories are to end.

Indeed, Tottenham have won just one away game against the established top six under Pochettino's guidance. In the top six mini league since August 2014, Tottenham are in fifth place and have failed to win 23 of the 33 fixtures. Only Arsenal have won fewer points in the division's decisive match-ups.

So now is the time for Tottenham to assert their superiority. They have a better manager and better players but cannot continue to allow occasions such as these to pass them by.

They must go to the Emirates Stadium and stamp all over enemy territory. Not to one-up Arsenal - a challenge Pochettino describes as 'secondary' in his book - but to ensure period of dominance for a talented group of players is backed up by medals and trophies rather than mere plaudits and platitudes.