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On paper, this might seem like a really one-sided affair, like you will realise after you are done with this article, but as the cliché goes, football is not played on paper – it is, instead, like Captain Obvious would claim, played on the green turf of grass.
And it is the actions of the players in those moments that integrate to form 90 minutes that will determine the outcome of the game.
So when Liverpool and Chelsea lock horns against each other this weekend, it is the collective effort of the players that will decide who takes home the bragging rights.
On paper though, Chelsea look far stronger than the Merseyside outfit. Indeed, if one was to make a combined XI of these two teams, it would be dominated by Chelsea players. Oh, hey, that’s precisely what I am going to do now and the formation I choose is 4-3-3.
Goalkeeper
Some people in this world love their lives too much and are afraid to die; I am not one of them. However, I don’t want to die with my body ripped apart due to wounds inflicted via objects – and that is precisely what could happen if I named Simon Mignolet here instead of Thibaut Courtois.
Grass is green, water is wet, sky is infinite... and Liverpool’s goalkeeper is... well... to put it respectfully, erratic. There are days when Mignolet becomes unbeatable but those days occur far more rarely than a day without Cristiano Ronaldo v/s Lionel Messi debates.
And then there is Thibaut Courtois. The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper is one of the best in the business and is a mountain in front of the goal for Chelsea.
And he is the obvious choice for the shot-stopper here.
Defence
Right-back
It is somewhat of a misfortune for Cesar Azpilicueta that he is a Spaniard. If he was of any other nationality, he might have been a starter for his national team. However, with Carvajal in the Spanish team, he is most likely to not be a starter for Spain – but that doesn’t stop him from being one of Chelsea’s elite players and the right-back in my team.
Left-back
Alberto Moreno has been fantastic so far this season. His improvement over the course of the last few months has been astonishing, to say the least. However, Marcos Alonso has been brilliant at his job ever for the last 3-4 years and his consistency will get him a place on this team. In terms of pure talent, however, Alberto Moreno could be better and – who knows – be on a list like this ahead of his compatriot next time.
Centre-backs
Antonio Conte plays a 3-man defence and each and every one of his defenders has a case to be here. However, Gary Cahill’s form has been on the decline for quite a while now and one gets the impression that the captain’s armband is what is helping him find a spot in the starting XI.
And, well, David Luiz is David Luiz. Andreas Christensen, meanwhile, might be the most talented among the lot but he hasn't played consistently enough to be on this list.
Also, the less we talk about Liverpool’s defence the better. However, Joel Matip will make it to this team purely on the basis of what he could do with a decent partner beside him. There are often times when it feels like Matip is the only one doing some defending in the backline – and alongside Antonio Rudiger, he could be perfect.
The former Roma man’s ability perfectly complements Joel Matip. Both the defenders are good at passing and their tall build makes them a formidable unit aerially.
Midfielders
This is another aspect where Chelsea are much stronger than the Reds. But there is still place for one Anfield players in this 3-man midfield: Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian’s creativity and directness would make him a headache for the opponents.
Of course, his bursting runs into the box and brilliant scoring abilities will mean that he provides a scoring threat from the centre of the park. To partner him and back him up with defensive muscle – which will allow him to make his signature adventurous forays – N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko will sit just behind him in what would look like an inverse trivote.
Both Kante and Bakayoko have the tendency to make lung-bursting forward runs without the opponents noticing, giving an extra man in attack to their team. However, their composure and responsible natures keep their attacking urges under check, providing the team with proper steel in midfield.
With the French duo behind the Brazilian, Coutinho will be able to attack with complete freedom and will not have to worry about his defence – which perhaps doesn’t allow him to sleep well at night at Liverpool.
Forwards
And now for the much-awaited 3-man attack. We all already know who these players are but for the sake of some good ol’ suspense, we will start this section by the process of elimination.
Roberto Firmino is one of those forwards who works their socks off to ensure that the opposition backline doesn’t get a moment of peace. However, he is a bit weak when it comes to pure goalscoring ability and hence doesn’t make the cut.
As talented as Ben Woodburn might be, he is yet to prove himself with consistent performance and, as a result, has also been excluded from here.
Similarly, Pedro, Willian and Mitchy Batshuayi have also been discarded because, well, the three other players are just better: Mohamad Salah, Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata.
Salah has been playing in God mode so far this season and Eden Hazard has picked up where he left off last season. Morata, meanwhile, is finally living his dream of being a starter for a top European club and has, so far, flourished with 8 Premier League goals in only 11 games.
Just imagine Salah cutting in from the right while Morata withdraws a little to allow Hazard in from the left as well. The sight itself will be... glorious. The best/worst part is that it could have actually happened had Mourinho been patient with Salah at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, we can always imagine, can’t we?
