MX23RW : Friday, March 1 05:07:31

Combined XI: Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur

Ahead of Wednesday evening's Premier League clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, Sports Mole selects the strongest combined XI from both sides.

Chelsea welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening in a huge Premier League match for both sides.

The Blues desperately need a win after tasting defeat in both domestic cups over the past week and losing ground in the top-four race.

Spurs, whose participation in the FA Cup and EFL Cup ended in the space of a few days last month, fell to a 2-1 reverse at Burnley on Saturday to all but end their slim title hopes.

Both teams could do with a victory in West London in midweek, then, and ahead of the match Sports Mole has put together a combined XI using only the players expected to be available for selection.



Combined XI: CHE vs. TOT

Out: Marco van Ginkel (knee), Dele Alli (hamstring), Vincent Janssen (knee)

Hugo Lloris's form has dipped since lifting the World Cup with France last summer but, while he is prone to the odd howler, the Spurs keeper still offers more of a presence between the sticks than opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has shipped 10 goals in his last three league outings and made the headlines for the wrong reasons in the EFL Cup final.

Right-back is a bit of a troublesome position for both sides. Kieran Trippier is another who has underwhelmed on the back of a superb showing at the World Cup and Cesar Azpilicueta, usually Chelsea's most reliable performer, has been caught out for too often in recent weeks. The latter gets the nod here almost by default. On the opposite flank, Ben Davies has had to battle with Danny Rose for regular starts and, thanks to his better fitness record and therefore more regular playing time, he is selected over his clubmate and Chelsea's hit-and-miss Marcos Alonso in this side.

Centre-back is where Tottenham have been particularly strong in recent years, even more so since Davinson Sanchez arrived in August 2017. Sanchez has justified his club-record fee in his first two seasons at the club and Toby Alderweireld also rarely puts a foot wrong. Had this been a three-man defence, Toby Alderweireld would have completed the all-Spurs backline ahead of Chelslea's inconsistent pairing of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger.

The Frenchman may not get picked in his favoured position by Maurizio Sarri, but there is no doubt that N'Golo Kante has been the best defensive midfielder on the planet over the past few years. Kante's inclusion in the centre of a three-man midfield allows Christian Eriksen to create chances from deep and, to the right of him, Moussa Sissoko - a regular for the Lilywhites in recent months - can shuttle forward to link midfield with an all-star attack.

It is in the forward department that this team truly comes to life. Eden Hazard is the fifth-highest scoring player in the Premier League this season and has more assists than anyone, while Harry Kane is on course for another 20-goal-plus season after marking his return from injury with a goal against Burnley. Willian and Pedro are options on the right of the front three, but Son Heung-min is enjoying the best season of his career and simply cannot be left out.

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Who will win Wednesday's Premier League meeting between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur?

Chelsea
Draw
Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea
29.3%
Draw
19.5%
Tottenham Hotspur
51.2%
Kepa Arrizabalaga in action during the Premier League game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea on December 5, 2018
Read Next:
How Chelsea could line up against Spurs
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool28216164154969
2Manchester CityMan City28222475205568
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs28200855292660
4Arsenal28175660382256
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd28167555361955
6Chelsea27165647291853
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28117103535040
8Watford28117103940-140
9Everton28106123939036
10West Ham UnitedWest Ham28106123541-636
11Leicester CityLeicester28105133439-535
12Bournemouth28104143953-1434
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2887132634-831
14Crystal Palace2886143238-630
15Burnley2886143150-1930
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2776142941-1227
17Southampton2869133046-1627
18Cardiff CityCardiff2874172555-3025
19Fulham2845192663-3717
20Huddersfield TownHuddersfield2835201550-3514

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