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Ever since the emergence of football as a significant recreation, and later, profession, in England, there have been certain hotspots for the sport all over the world, and in its birthplace as well. Of these hotspots, one significant one is England's capital city of London.
Currently, there are 32 clubs based in London which participate in the bottom four divisions of the English footballing structure, including Romford FC, Haringey Borough and Dagenham & Redbridge. When it comes to clubs in the professional leagues, London is represented by 12 clubs in League 2, League 1, the Championship and the Premier League.
League 2 sees London representation in the form of Leyton Orient, while League 1 has AFC Wimbledon. The Championship has 5 clubs from London participating in it, namely, Brentford, Charlton Athletic, Fulham, Millwall and Queens Park Rangers.
However, our focus today is on the Premier League, and the 5 London clubs competing in it this season; Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Crystal Palace. We will attempt to make a combined XI using players from these clubs, with a couple of rules:
There must be a minimum of two players from each club.
There can only be a maximum of three players from each club.
Here are some honourable mentions:
Sebastian Haller (West Ham United)
Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur)
Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)
Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)
Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace)
Without further ado, let's get started with our London team, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation.
Goalkeeper: Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham United)
First on our list is the West Ham and Poland goalkeeper, Lukasz Fabianski. Currently injured, Fabianski has been one of West Ham's most important players since signing for the club in 2018, and it is clear to see given the Hammers' sharp dip in form in his absence.
In 2007, he was brought to England by then Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who would later claim that Fabianski could become one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. However, after just 32 matches across seven years at Arsenal, Fabianski moved to Swansea City, where he made a name for himself as an extremely reliable goalkeeper, appearing 149 times for the club in four seasons. In 2018, Fabianski signed for West Ham for £7 million after Swansea was relegated.
Since his first season at Swansea, in 2014, Fabianski has put up excellent numbers, consistently averaging over 3 saves per match in 5 consecutive seasons, bailing out his team time and again with breathtaking saves. Last season, he played every single minute of West Ham's league campaign, averaging a career-high 3.8 saves per match as his side finished a respectable 10th in the table.
Also check out: EPL fixtures EPL table Champions League table
Defence
Right Back: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Who else was it going to be for the right-back slot in this team but Cesar Azpilicueta? Ever since arriving on English shores in 2012, the Chelsea skipper has proven to be one of the most reliable and dependable players in the league for the Blues, and for his national team, Spain.
Always considered a defensively-minded player, contrary to the modern use of full-backs as attacking threats, 'Dave' is equally comfortable at centre-back and left-back as well. Although not the most physically gifted, his tenacity and work rate enables him to consistently make things difficult for opposition attackers.
Always a model professional, who leads a quiet life away from the pitch, Azpilicueta is entering his prime as a defender and continues to churn out excellent performances week in week out.
Centre Back: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur)
Over the last 20 years or so, football has seen a dramatic shift in many aspects of the game; not least concerning the role of the centre-back. In days bygone, they were expected to simply clear the ball out of danger, but with the emphasis on passing football nowadays, they are expected to be confident in possession and calm under pressure. One player who exemplifies these traits is Tottenham Hotspur and Belgium centre back Toby Alderweireld.
Across his career, Alderweireld averages 2.6 ball recoveries and 5.3 clearances per game, as well as winning 1.5 aerial duels at a 52% success rate. He also makes 56.6 passes per game, at a completion rate of 83.6%, showcasing his value when his team has the ball. Alderweireld is out of contract in the summer, and may not be at Tottenham next season, but wherever he ends up, he is sure to be a valuable asset.
Centre Back: Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur)
They say that the key to constructing a solid defence is to have a strong partnership at the back. For the last five years, one of the most effective defensive partnerships in England, or even Europe, has been the one between Toby Alderweireld and his compatriot and club teammate, Jan Vertonghen.
Like Alderweireld, Vertonghen is, in a nutshell, the epitome of the modern, ball-playing defender. His left-footedness has enabled him to forge a balanced partnership with his fellow countryman, and also ensures that he can create different passing angles. Vertonghen is probably the better out-and-out defender of the two, as his 3.9 ball recoveries and 5.6 clearances per game show. His distribution is also excellent, as he completes 56 passes per game at an 86.7% completion rate.
In terms of a defensive partnership, Vertonghen and Alderweireld are as close as one can come to perfection.
Left Back: Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace)
Given that Patrick van Aanholt is not an 'elite' full-back, it may, at first glance, seem surprising that he has been included in this team. But, given our self-imposed restrictions, it is easier to see that he certainly deserves his place in our squad.
van Aanholt has always been an extremely capable two-way full-back, contributing heavily to both attacking and defensive phases of play with equal effectiveness. Across his career, he averages 3.6 ball recoveries and 2.3 clearances per game, and, in his career at Palace has scored 10 goals and provided 3 assists so far, a very good return for a defender.
van Aanholt has also played 9 times for the Dutch national team and will be hoping to make manager Ronald Koeman's squad for the 2020 European Championships.
Midfield
Right Winger: Felipe Anderson (West Ham United)
Starting in the wide attacking berth on the right-wing is West Ham's, Felipe Anderson. Signed from Lazio in 2018, Anderson was something of a statement signing for the Hammers, given the constant media coverage linking him with the likes of Manchester United.
A skilful, tricky, wide man, Anderson also possesses a wicked turn of pace which can often leave defenders dumbfounded. An additional important facet of his game is his work rate, especially off the ball, to help out his defenders when the pressure is on. In fact, it is such a big part of his game that he was even deployed at wing-back during his time at Lazio.
Central Midfielder: Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal)
One of the few good decisions that Unai Emery made during his Arsenal tenure was to bring Matteo Guendouzi to North London from Lorient, in France's Ligue 2, a transfer not many can claim they saw happening.
Guendouzi is that rare breed of player that doesn't cop a lot of stick week in week out by Arsenal fans and it is easy to see why. His tenacity and bite in midfield areas is something Arsenal have been missing out on for years, given the players they have had in there previously.
Constantly giving his all for the shirt, as well as being technically adept, the Frenchman is still only 21 and could well become an Arsenal captain, were he to remain at the club.
Central Midfielder: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
Partnering Guendouzi in midfield for our London team is a man who never stops smiling off the pitch and never stops running on it. N'Golo Kante is perhaps the best defensive midfielder in the world today and his development as an attacking force as well spells danger for opposition teams.
One of the driving forces behind Leicester City's fairytale triumph in 2016, Kante has excelled even after moving on, showcasing his extraordinary skillset at Chelsea and for France, with whom he lifted the World Cup in 2018.
Kante is a machine, as his exceptional stamina and reading of the game, combined with an exceptional reading of the game make him almost impossible to bypass and as a result, his opponents are often suffocated in the middle of the park.
Left Winger: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Our left flank is all Crystal Palace, as left-back Patrick van Aanholt gets the opportunity to link up with Wilfried Zaha. A product of the Eagles' youth academy, Zaha was the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer when he was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, but stayed put at Selhurst Park.Zaha didn't quite make the grade at Manchester United, when he signed for the Red Devils in 2013, although his natural ability was quite evident.
Since rejoining Palace in 2015, he has proved indispensable to whichever manager has come through the doors of the South London club. Like Anderson on the other wing, Zaha is extremely quick and tricky but perhaps possesses a better end product, as well as being more robust than the Brazilian. In our team, he would look to cut inside from the wing and influence the game in more central areas.
Attack
Striker: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
The first of our deadly striking duo is Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane. A Tottenham lad through and through (apart from the small matter of him supporting Arsenal as a child, but we'll let that go), Kane has often been in and among the candidates for the Premier League golden boot since his maiden campaign in 2014/15.
Kane made his debut for Spurs in 2012 as an 86th-minute substitute but was subsequently loaned out that season. He saw his game time improve dramatically as Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as manager in 2014, playing 34 times that season, scoring 21 goals. In every season since, Kane has scored more than 15 goals, with seven to his name already this term and under new manager Jose Mourinho, will certainly be looking to scale new heights.
Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
To round off our team, we have our second Arsenal player, and the fifth player based in North London. Gabonese hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the deadliest strikers in the world and has been for a while now.
Perhaps the most prolific forward since Thierry Henry to pull on the red and white for Arsenal (although Robin van Persie might have something to say about that), 'Auba' has been a sensation. With the rest of the team (especially the defence) crashing and burning around him, his focus has been laser-sharp.
His job is to score goals, and it is solely thanks to the former Borussia Dortmund man that Arsenal are not lower down in the table than they already are, given their patchy form. Blessed with fantastic speed, he can burn anyone in a footrace, and can finish unerringly even at full tilt, an attribute several strikers would kill for.
