EPL 2016/17: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur - Combined XI
Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur today with both sides looking to get their league campaign back on track. Both sides would not have envisaged their campaign the way it has turned out so far. However, United could halve the deficit to Spurs with a win whereas the London side could reduce the gap between them and the top 4.
Mourinho’s side have not been convincing at Old Trafford and Mauricio Pochettino will look to take advantage of that fact when the two sides face off against one another. Luke Shaw and Marouane Fellaini are unavailable for the game due to slight niggles while for Spurs, Toby Alderweireld is a long-term absentee.
Also read: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur: Match preview, telecast info, team news and prediction
Let's take a look at the combined eleven from the two sides based completely on the recent performances and not on reputation:
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris
An absolutely dreadful decision to choose between two of the best keepers in the Premier League but the Spurs captain just gets the nod ahead of De Gea as a result of his superior stats this season. Lloris has kept six clean sheets and conceded just nine goals compared to De Gea's 16 goals and just four clean sheets.
De Gea is more influential to his team than Lloris but the Frenchman takes a place in this team because of his recent showings.
Defenders
Right back: Kyle Walker
Though Antonio Valencia has been a regular starter for United this season and has done brilliantly at times, Walker has just been better than him in every department. An erratic defender in the past who compensated with his pace, Walker's rise has coincided with Mauricio Pochettino's arrival at Spurs which has made him one of the best fullbacks in the league.
The 26-year old has been wonderful for the Lilywhites in defence and also in attack.
Centre back: Eric Bailly
Bailly's absence left a huge void for the Red Devils last month but his return has seen United win their games against Zorya and West Ham in the EFL Cup. A robust defender, Bailly is one of the first names on the team sheet for Jose Mourinho and has justified his place in the team.
Had Toby Alderweireld been fit, Bailly would not have been in this lineup as the Belgian has been one of the best defenders in the league since joining Spurs but in his absence, the Ivorian makes the cut.
Centre back: Jan Vertonghen
The Belgian is one of the calmest defenders present in the league and has done well this season which is reflected by the fact that Spurs have the meanest defence in the league until now. His ball playing abilities coupled with his sense of the game in terms of his positioning makes him the left-sided centre-back in this team ahead of Daley Blind who has made many errors this season defensively for the Red Devils.
Left back: Danny Rose
United have struggled in defence as a settled player at left back has not been decided by the manager until now. Luke Shaw, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian have played there but not one has impressed much this season. The same cannot be said for Spurs as Danny Rose has done exceptionally well for them.
Along with his resolute defending, he has chipped in with goals and assists which has helped Spurs keep the meanest defence in the 2016-17 season.
Midfielders
Centre midfield: Moussa Dembele
Dembele has everything that you need as a midfielder to succeed in the Premier League - he can break up play, is strong in the tackle, retains the ball well under pressure, and produces explosive runs to get at opposition defences.
He gets the nod ahead of Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick who have not played consistently enough and also keeping in mind a player's importance to the team. Though Carrick is essential to make United click, Dembele does that more effectively for Spurs.
Centre midfield: Paul Pogba
There hasn't been a player under more scrutiny this season than Paul Pogba who is slowly showing why United paid such a humongous fee to secure his services. He looks settled these days and his influence on the team is increasing with each passing day as he leads in a number of departments among the two side’s midfielders.
Left wing: Christian Eriksen
Eriksen started the season slowly but is slowly picking up where he left off last season as the Danish playmaker has scored three goals and produced two assists in his last three games. After Harry Kane's return, Eriksen has found a renewed confidence which is showing on the pitch with his goal against Chelsea being a proof of that. A choice between him and Anthony Martial was a no brainer.
Right wing: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
After a disappointing debut against Manchester City, the Armenian captain has grown in stature which is reflected by his three man of the match displays against Feyenoord, West Ham and Zorya. He scored a beautiful solo goal in the Europa League on Thursday and will look to continue his fine run of form against a solid defensive Spurs unit.
Attackers
Striker: Harry Kane
After coming back from an injury, Kane has gone on to score seven goals in six appearances for Spurs with his latest coming against CSKA Moscow. His importance in this Spurs side is obvious with the team struggling for goals in his absence and then scoring for fun with him in the side. He has already scored nine goals this season and is going to have a shot at the Golden Boot yet again after scoring 25 goals last season.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
It would be a sin to leave the Swede out of this lineup with Ibrahimovic looking in fine touch recently. He had a quiet October but is back in the goals with his latest coming against Zorya. He is United's top scorer this season with 13 goals and has a knack for scoring in big games with the match against Spurs having added importance today as both sides need a win to have a chance of cracking the top four.
