In the latest iteration of the North London Derby, Arsenal visited Spurs at their temporary home, Wembley.

This was a must-win match for both teams, for similar yet different reasons. Spurs looked to keep up their great home form (5 wins in their last 5 games) and get back into the top 4, an ever more attainable goal as Chelsea and Manchester United have begun to sputter.

On the other hand, Arsenal have by all accounts had a disappointing season, meandering outside of the top 4 and suffering recent defeats in the league at the hands of Swansea and Bournemouth.

3 points at Wembley would signify that the winning team is more than ready to join the big boys back in the top 4.

Tottenham ran out the winners by a good margin, although the 1-0 scoreline did not reflect that. Had Petr Cech had a bit of an off day – and, conversely, had Tottenham’s finishing been marginally better – it would have been a rout for the Gunners.

With the tail end of the season fast approaching, and massive Champion’s League and FA Cup games coming up fast, Pochettino’s rotation will be critical for the club to find success in the upcoming matches.

That said, Spurs are currently enjoying the most depth they’ve had in years. With no injuries either, Pochettino really has the pick of the litter to shift tactics game-to-game. Here are three things for both fans and the club to consider after the Arsenal match.

1) Davinson Sanchez has proved to be a phenomenal addition to the team

I struggled to stay even keel and not say “Sanchez is a dark horse for signing of the season.” Watching him week in, week out it’s easy to forget that he’s a 21 year old who is in the midst of his first season in the Premier League. Even before Toby Alderweireld was sidelined by injury, he found himself in the starting XI and his importance has only been magnified by the Belgian’s absence.

Davinson brings to the pitch many of Alderweireld’s qualities on the pitch – strong in the air, a phenomenal ability to read the game and anticipate passes, while also bringing an attacking threat with a large passing range.

There’s one quality that Alderweireld exemplifies that is hard to quantify – calm. Through some sort of miracle (or more likely thousands of hours of training and focus) Sanchez is able to replicate that. The Colombian brings with him the ability to retrieve the ball to play out the back, crucial for Pochettino’s system.

Admittedly, he does have to work on being patient. He gets caught out every so often, and the amount of fouls committed speaks for itself. There’s no doubt that Jan and Toby can help him on this front.

2) As Heung-Min Son cools, does Erik Lamela find his way back to the starting XI?

Son has been enjoying his best season in a Spurs shirt – there was a stretch of 5 games in December and January where he scored/assisted in every match. He’s only 4 goals away from matching his count from last season, and Spurs have a substantial number of games to play still.

Lately, he’s struggled against the top teams. His performances against Manchester United, Liverpool, and most recently Arsenal have been quiet. With no goals or assists, it brings up the question of whether Son is up to scratch for facing top opposition. He’s proven that in the international stage, most notably against Borussia Dortmund, but he needs to find a way to replicate that form in the league.

Although Son is still getting involved in plays around dangerous areas, he’s had little end product as of late. There’s no doubt that Lamela will find his way to the starting XI – if only to deal with match congestion. But the Argentinian does get heavily involved in attack whenever he’s on the pitch, and is arguably less stifled than Son. With new boy Lucas Moura waiting on the wing, expect to see heavy rotation for Tottenham’s wide players in the upcoming matches.

3) Dier is keeping Wanyama on the bench – rightly so

Pochettino’s personnel options don’t get much easier in the middle of the pitch. Dier (once again) has proven to be an integral part of the Spurs system. Although I believe Wanyama to be the more dynamic player in terms of technical ability, Dier outshines the Kenyan for positional fluidity – and that’s the reason Wanyama cannot find a way into the starting XI.

Dier is more than adept at slotting in the back-line to allow Davies and Trippier to bomb upwards, providing the width for player who gravitate to the middle of the pitch – namely, Eriksen and Dele. Although Wanyama can stay back as well, he looks much more uncomfortable covering space behind a fullback or an advancing center back.

When Dier plays, however, fullbacks don’t have to worry about the space that they leave behind. In the same vein, Vertonghen or Alderweireld can dribble upwards as well while Dier hangs back.

That said, I truly believe Wanyama is in a class of his own – there’s no better Spurs player at closing down, regaining possession, and quickly transitioning from defense to attack when he’s at his best. He will find his way back to starting games if Dembele starts to tire, but he is without a doubt competing with Dier for a starting spot. He will need to learn how to effectively cover for defenders if he has any hope of dethroning Dier.