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6 months ago
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Chelsea and Tottenham meet at Stamford Bridge each hoping to put an almighty dent in the European ambitions of their London rivals.
Mauricio Pochettino faces such an injury crisis that his team has practically been picked for him.
Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou will need to wrestle his players from a stupor after back-to-back defeats, although their inspired second-half in their 3-2 loss to Arsenal gives hope.
Should either manager be in doubt about who to pick, they would do well to listen to Mail Sport's authoritative advice below.
Without further ado, we present Mail Sport's combined XI. What could go wrong?
Tottenham and Chelsea renew their acquaintance in Thursday night's London derby
Son Heung-min leads the line flanked by Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer in our combined XI
FORMATION: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)
Provided he doesn't let anyone undo his gloves, Vicario is a fairly straightforward pick here.
He's the archetypal modern goalkeeper, ranking highly in distribution statistics and capable of sweeping if needed.
There are doubts about his ability to command his area - Micah Richards was unimpressed with his sheepishness in the 3-2 loss to Arsenal and Spurs conceded two goals from corners.
Djordje Petrovic is a fine goalkeeping option for Chelsea in a mid-table season, but Mail Sport prefers Vicario.
Guglielmo Vicario brings modern qualities for a goalkeeper but can improve his presence
Right-back: Pedro Porro (Tottenham)
Porro has found a happy home at Spurs and is well-suited to their play style.
He has been a good creator charging up the wing for Ange Postecoglou, notching seven assists, although his last was in January.
It would have been a coin toss against Malo Gusto, whose crossing has been a sight to behold, but he is out after sustaining a knee injury against Manchester City.
Pedro Porro is a dynamic full-back and, with Malo Gusto out, he claims this spot with ease
Centre-back: Cristian Romero (Tottenham)
It has its imperfections, but Romero's partnership with Micky van de Ven is something Spurs can build on for seasons to come.
Aggressive, swashbuckling, and a good leader, Romero has won over fans after initial doubts.
He's also become a strong contributor going forward - his strike against Arsenal took his season's tally to five goals.
For large parts of the second half he was playing so high that he was practically a forward, but his initiative paid off and got his team back in the game.
Cristian Romero has chipped in with five goals this season and raised his status among fans
Centre-back: Micky van de Ven (Tottenham)
He has been a really strong signing for Postecoglou, a £43million well-spent.
His pace is staggering. Against Brentford in January, he clocked a top speed of 23.22mph - the highest ever recorded in the Premier League.
He also brings that highly coveted attribute of being left-footed, which allows him to turn out when receiving the ball from Vicario and spread the ball more expansively.
Granted, the Dutchman had a stinker against Newcastle and was arguably at fault for three of their goals, slipping twice, but it has been a positive debut season for him.
Micky van de Ven has recorded the fastest speed in Premier League history and has impressed in his first season at Spurs
Left-back: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)
Destiny Udogie or Ben Chilwell would typically fill this position, but both are absent.
Cucurella has improved this season and has put together a solid run of games in Chilwell's absence.
Seen as a bit of a loose cannon after arriving at the club, he has made progress towards reconciling his attacking instinct with his defensive duties.
Marc Cucurella makes our team due to absences but has improved his form this campaign
Central midfield: Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham)
Sarr's energy in the engine room for Spurs is indispensable.
He had to wait a while for his Spurs debut, which he made in January last season, but this year his industry and ball-winning ability have been beneficial to them.
Yves Bissouma is a similar player and has every right to say he deserves this spot, but he hasn't been getting as many minutes recently so Sarr just edges him.
Pape Matar Sarr's energy in midfield is a big plus for Spurs, as is his ball-winning ability
Central midfield: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea)
It will be a great shame for Chelsea if they part ways with Conor Gallagher because he has been a rare orb of consistency in a year of disarray.
He is due to enter the last year of his contract with no breakthrough in talks and while Mauricio Pochettino is keen to keep him, Chelsea's chiefs may lick their lips at selling a youth product for pure profit.
His box-to-box efforts will dovetail nicely with Sarr's enthusiasm for running.
Conor Gallagher has been a rare constant in a season of turmoil for Chelsea but could leave
Right-wing: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Undroppable in this team no matter who is fit.
A haul of 25 goals and 13 assists this season speaks for itself. Palmer is electric and conjures moments of magic from nothing.
Mail Sport's Ian Herbert believes Palmer should pip Phil Foden to the Footballer of the Year award. At the very least, he is high in the conversation.
He's doing all of this in a turbulent Chelsea team, remember. He is thriving in conditions which are hostile to success.
Mail Sport's Ian Herbert believes Cole Palmer should pip Phil Foden to Footballer of the Year
Attacking midfield: James Maddison (Tottenham)
Has Maddison been the same player since his mid-season ankle injury? No.
Ten games into his Spurs career, he has three goals, five assists, and his new employers were top of the Premier League.
In his last six league games he has no goals or assists and he has been substituted off in his last nine.
His quality is undeniable, however, and fans have confidence that he will turn a corner sooner rather than later.
James Maddison has not recaptured his pre-injury form but is still a key player for Spurs
Left-wing: Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
It was a toss-up between Jackson, Raheem Sterling, Timo Werner, and Mykhailo Mudryk for this one. Perhaps it would have been better to leave the space unfilled.
Jackson has taken a lot of criticism this year, but he has done respectably shouldering the burden up front.
He arrived for £32m on what was essentially two eye-catching months at Villarreal and has, at the age of 22, produced 13 goals. That is no shame.
Mail Sport moves him out to his less familiar left-wing. He hasn't been a prolific goalscorer but his technical ability is evident.
Nicolas Jackson has taken a lot of stick for his finishing but he is young and has redeeming qualities
Son Heung-min has taken to his new role of striker very well and is an ideal captain
Striker: Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Son is not a natural striker and has had to fill in for Harry Kane since he left to Bayern Munich, but he is doing a fine job of it.
He has 16 goals and nine assists this season, leading the line and getting adjusted to a new tactical style.
The 31-year-old is a talismanic captain and a perfect ambassador for the club. Mail Sport makes him our captain also.
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