Combined London derby XI featuring 7 Chelsea and 4 Tottenham stars
The London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham is surely going to be one of the main attractions of Premier League Matchday 18, with the giants from the northern and western of the capital set to lock horns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Tottenham beat Wolves 2-1 last week to register a fourth league victory in five games under new manager Jose Mourinho, who will now try to outwit his former club in a bid to guide the Lilywhites up to 4th in the standings.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will be keen to recover from a recent slump in form which has seen Frank Lampard’s side suffer 4 defeats in their last 5 Premier League outings.
The Blues were shocked 1-0 by Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge last week and they could have their work cut out against a resurgent Tottenham unit headed by none other than Mourinho.
Its now time to take a look at our combined XI from the London derby featuring 7 Chelsea stars and 4 Tottenham stars assembled in a 4-3-3 formation.
1. Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK)
The Spaniard has only managed three clean-sheets in the Premier League so far but that has largely been down to some poor defending from Chelsea.
Paulo Gazzaniga doesn’t really look like good enough competition for Kepa but Hugo Lloris would surely have been in contention for a place in the combined XI had he been fit.
2. Cesar Azpilicueta (RB)
The veteran has been involved in so many London derbies over the course of his career at Stamford Bridge that has now stretched over seven years and he is a sure pick in the combined XI ahead of Serge Aurier and Reece James.
3. Antonio Rudiger (CB)
The German international is clearly one of the best centre-backs in the entire Premier League when his return to fitness ahead of the London derby comes as a massive boost to Chelsea, who have found themselves way too exposed at the back this season.
4. Toby Alderweireld (CB)
The Belgian hasn’t always been at his best this season but he is still one of the best in his position in the Premier League.
The likes of Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Davinson Sanchez have all been successful to varying degrees this season but Alderweireld looks like a more reliable pick due to his experience in derby games.
5. Jan Vertonghen (LB)
Left-back has been a problem area for both the teams this season. While Marcos Alonso and Emerson have both failed to nail down a regular starting role at Chelsea, new manager Jose Mourinho has shown much confidence in the likes of Danny Rose and Ben Davies.
Vertonghen has done reasonably well as a left-back in recent weeks and that should be enough for the veteran to grab a place in the elite XI for Sunday’s clash.
6. Jorginho (CDM)
The Italian maestro has looked like a completely transformed player under Lampard, who has allowed him more freedom to express himself from a deep midfield role this season, and he surely deserves a place ahead of Tanguy Ndombele.
7. N’Golo Kante (RCM)
Despite struggling with injuries this season, the Frenchman continues to be one of the best in his position in the world and certainly a key cog in Chelsea’s midfield cavalry who could well tilt the game in their favour on Sunday.
8. Dele Alli (LCM)
The England international has returned to form since the appointment of Mourinho and a string of impressive displays in recent weeks should be enough to earn him a place in the combined XI.
Dropping Kovacic looks a bit weird, given that the Croatian has been very consistent for Chelsea, but Alli brings a lot more goal threat to the midfield.
9. Heung-min Son (RW)
Mourinho’s appointment in North London has handed a new lease of life to the Korean, who has produced some top-drawer performances in recent weeks after a disappointing start to the season.
Dropping Willian is somewhat harsh but Son will surely be a key player to watch out for on Sunday.
10. Christian Pulisic (LW)
The former Borussia Dortmund man has made a big impact in the Premier League after a relatively slow start to life at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea will rely heavily on his creativity to outwit their London rivals.
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11. Tammy Abraham (ST)
Going by the record books, Harry Kane is definitely the obvious pick, however, the Chelsea academy graduate has outscored the England captain in the Premier League this season and that should be enough to earn him a place in the combined XI.
