With a fierce London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham coming up, I’ll be giving my combined XI.
Both Tuchel and Conte’s sides are coming off the back of mixed seasons, finishing in the top four but enduring some inconsistent spells. With this match being so early in the season, it could set the tone for either team if they were to capture all three points.
As it’s such an intriguing matchup with two teams on a similar level, it is interesting to think about what a combined team would look like.
GK: Hugo Lloris
This was the first tough call, but I think Hugo edges Edouard Mendy. The Frenchman’s experience and consistency at the top level earns him his spot.
Lloris has been one of the best keepers in the Premier League for years, while Mendy is only entering his third season in England.
RCB: Cristian Romero
Since coming to Tottenham, Romero has proved himself as one of the best centerbacks in the league. His aggressive defending and calmness on the ball make him a perfect fit for the RCB role.
The Argentine is clearly better than Chelsea’s Azpilicueta, so Cuti’s spot in the team is a no-brainer in my opinion.
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CCB: Thiago Silva
Even though Eric Dier has improved massively, Silva’s still a top level player. His defensive instincts and positioning is better than Dier. Also, he’s been a top level defender for over a decade, while Dier is only just now moving towards that level with Conte’s help.
LCB: Kalidou Koulibaly
Despite the sale of Rudiger this summer, Chelsea still have an excellent LCB with the signing of Koulibaly. The Senegalese is another player that continues to perform at a high level despite entering his 30’s
Even though he’s right footed, Koulibaly’s left foot is strong and the way he likes to drive forward fits perfectly on the left of a back three.
Davies is another player that has massively improved under Conte, but he’s not quite good enough yet to displace Chelsea’s new man.
RWB: Reece James
Tottenham have a wealth of options on the right with Emerson, Doherty, and Spence all at the club. Despite this, none of them come close to Reece James. His quality in defense and attack places him as one of the best wingbacks in the league easily, so this is a no-brainer.
CM: Mateo Kovacic
Even with the Croatian’s injury issues, and Tuchel’s admiration for Kante and Jorginho in midfield, I still think Kovacic is Chelsea’s best midfielder.
He’s one of the best dribblers around. Combine that with his excellent passing and physique, and you have a top press resistant midfielder with quality abilities going both ways.
CM: Yves Bissouma
Tottenham also have strong options in midfield with Skipp, Bentancur, and Hojbjerg still at the club, but I think it’s a new signing that will take center stage. Bissouma proved himself as a top midfielder during his time at Brighton.
The Malian’s ability to cover ground and win the ball back to amazing effect shows he’s quality in front of the defense. His powerful dribbling means he can be a weapon going forward as well.
Once he’s fully fit and firing, I think Bissouma will be a mainstay in Conte’s side.
LWB: Ivan Perisic
Chelsea have great players in this position with Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell at the club, but so do Tottenham with Perisic and Ryan Sessengon. Out of all four, I think Perisic is the best.
Last season he finished with the most direct goal contributions of any wingback in Serie A. His crossing and shooting is some of the best of any wingback in the Premier League. Adding his experience at the top level to that, you’ve got a quality player.
His age isn’t a factor because Perisic showed last year that he is in the prime of his career and his fitness is exemplary.
RW: Dejan Kulusevski
This was a tough call between Kulusevski and Raheem Sterling, but the Swede edges it for me. Despite Sterling’s experience in the Premier League, winning titles and scoring a lot of goals, Kulusevski has been performing at a higher level since he arrived in England.
Sterling was relegated to Manchester City’s bench last season due to his drop in performance levels. Meanwhile, Kulusevski has been thriving under Conte. I think in this case, current performance beats out experience.
ST: Harry Kane
After getting rid of Lukaku and Timo Werner, Chelsea’s only recognized number 9 is Armando Broja. Therefore, it was the easiest choice of this combined XI to put Kane in. He’s absolutely world class. Not much else needs to be said.
LW: Heung Min Son
Son won the golden boot alongside Salah last season. He’s put up quality numbers for the last six seasons. Neither Mount or Sterling can compete with the South Korean’s current level. Son’s inclusion is another obvious choice.
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