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The atmosphere in the respective fields of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea could hardly be more contrasting heading into the London derby on Thursday.
For Tottenham, the pressure is mounting on José Mourinho, who without the Harry Kane talisman will hope to inspire his team to bounce back against the Blues after lousy performances in back-to-back losses to Brighton and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are up and running under new boss Thomas Tuchel after his recent win over Burnley and the new manager hopes to win over the fans with a derby win over fierce rivals.
But who has the strongest team? Sportsmail has assembled the best combined XI of the players available for Thursday night’s clash at White Hart Lane.
GOALKEEPER: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)
Without a doubt, the compound Edouard Mendy has proven to be number one in Chelsea to displace the more erratic Kepa Arrizabalaga; in fact, he even has nine clean sheets this season. But Lloris ‘experience in the Premier League dates back almost nine years and only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Spurs’ 21. That’s more due to the Spurs goalkeeper than the defense that still looks shaky in front of him and continues to cause the coach concern. Jose Mourinho.
RIGHT BACK: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
The Chelsea captain is more likely to play a central role on Thursday, but here he ranks as a full-back where he has proven comfortable in the past. Perhaps most importantly, he is in shape, having last scored against Burnley, and there is little competition from the Spurs. Serge Aurier appears to be out of contention after storming at halftime in Liverpool’s loss, while Matt Doherty is still unconvinced after his summer arrival from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
CENTER BACK: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham)
He’s not as strong as he was three or four years ago when he was considered one of the Premier League’s top center-backs, but the 31-year-old is still arguably the best Spurs have to offer. Part of his gradual decline in recent seasons appears to be due to not having a reliable defensive partner to play with after Jan Vertonghen’s departure after his quickest drop in form.
CENTER BACK: Thiago Silva (Chelsea)
Thiago Silva’s quality has never been in doubt, but after joining Chelsea for free in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain, there were concerns that the 36-year-old had left too late to reach the Premier League. With more than half of last season, the legs are still strong and it is likely to be key to preventing Tottenham’s counterattack from exploiting any space in the center of the park.
LEFT PART: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Completely frozen under Frank Lampard and seemingly heading for a Stamford Bridge exit, the defender is immediately back in the first team after Tuchel’s arrival. He also shows no rust, making an excellent volley in the win over Burnley. He has a track record when it comes to finding the net against Spurs, and with the hosts absent the injured Sergio Reguilón, he’s an easy pick here.
Support midfield: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Injury has prevented us from seeing how Kante fares in Tuchel’s system, but he has been key in three previous regimes at Stamford Bridge and is likely to be as important as the terrier in the German’s midfield. Tottenham have some very strong competition in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has impressed this season, but Kante’s overall influence gives him the nod over one of Mourinho’s star summer arrivals.
Deep Playmaker: Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham)
A player transformed this season after a very poor first year at White Hart Lane. Concerns about his fitness may mean he will miss out on Thursday, but he could still show up and if he does, it will be vital to the way Tottenham uses the ball in attack. Ndombele’s strength on the ball and range of passes make him a key element of how Spurs can damage Chelsea, and only his ability to maintain standards for 90 minutes due to general physical condition limits his effectiveness.
Attacking Midfielder: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
A testament to how well Mount has performed this season is that he has managed to fire the trendiest £ 89 million summer signing, Kai Havertz, who was expected to replace the England international. However, Mount has taken his game to a new level this quarter, and has arguably been the best player on the Blues.
Forward: Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
One of the stars of the season so far in the Premier League, not to mention Tottenham’s attack. The Spurs will need that quality too because without the injured Harry Kane they have very little threat to offer in front of goal. Son has shown many times in the past that he doesn’t need Kane to take on attacking responsibilities, but will he be out of the game on Thursday?
Forward: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Abraham may be without a goal in the Premier League since Boxing Day, but he would still walk straight into the Tottenham team at this point. He appears to have beaten Tuchel as well after being called up to the team that defeated Burnley, having been shut out at Olivier Giroud’s expense for the German’s first game in charge against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Forward: Timo Werner (Chelsea)
Of course Werner hasn’t scored a goal in the Premier League in nearly three months, but when Son and the injured Kane are excluded, there are shamefully no Tottenham alternatives with a better record. Steven Bergwijn is always upbeat, but he hasn’t scored a single goal this season, and Gareth Bale’s anemic form continues to baffle. Furthermore, while Werner is still in the Premier League, he is fit against Spurs, having scored twice in his last four appearances against them, including the London derby at White Hart Lane earlier this season in the Carabao Cup.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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