Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea: Combined XI | Premier League 2020-21
Tottenham Hotspur welcome Chelsea to North London on Thursday as Jose Mourinho gets ready to get one over his former side and city rivals Chelsea. It will be the first match-up between the Portuguese and new Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.
Mourinho witnessed his team suffer back-to-back Premier League defeats in their last two games, while Chelsea got a much-needed boost from their win over Burnley. Tuchel, though, still has a lot of work to do to turn Chelsea into a side that can compete with the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool.
In injury news, Harry Kane will be sidelined for a couple of weeks after he limped off against Liverpool. Tanguy Ndombele was forced off through injury against Brighton and is a doubt for the Chelsea game.
Summer signing Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso are both out due to injuries. Chelsea don't have any major injury issues. There are minor concerns over Hakim Ziyech's fitness but everyone else is fit for the derby. Midfielder N'Golo Kante has also fully recovered from a hamstring problem and is likely to start in midfield.
Keeping all that in mind, let us take a look at the Combined XI of these London giants:
Formation (3-4-3)
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris will be between the sticks in this combined playing eleven. The World Cup-winning captain has been instrumental in the Spurs' success this season and has often bailed them out in difficult situations.
The Frenchman boasts lightning reflexes and is a formidable opponent in one-on-one situations. Tottenham have the second-best defense in the league and Hugo Lloris should get most of the credit for that.
Chelsea's Edouard Mendy is also having a terrific season but Lloris edges him in this one.
Defenders: César Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Toby Alderweireld
César Azpilicueta will take the right side of the three-man defense. The ever-reliable Spaniard had little game time under Frank Lampard who preferred young talent, Reece James. But under Tuchel, Azpilicueta seems to have become an important part of that Chelsea back three. The Blues Captain rarely has an off day and always gives his best when he is on the pitch. He might be an old-fashioned defender but he is still one of the best in what he does.
There was a lot of talk regarding Thiago Silva and if he could deal with the pace of the Premier League in the late stages of his career.
Not only has the Brazilian answered those questions, but he's also passed almost all the challenges with flying colors. Chelsea needed a leader at the back who could organize the defense and Thiago Silva has used his leadership qualities to do that. He is the biggest reason why Chelsea have conceded only 23 goals (3rd lowest in the league) this season.
The third and final man in that back three is Spurs' center-half Toby Alderweirld. Consistency and dependability have made Alderweireld a solid defender and an essential part of Spurs's eleven.
The Belgian excels in almost every defensive attribute and usually comes out on top in ground duels. His ability to regularly spray pinpoint long balls and start attacks is also why he is one of the best defenders in the league