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Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield this Sunday, as they try to leapfrog their hosts Liverpool with a victory over them. Liverpool are currently third on the Premier League table with 50 points, but a loss could possibly see them exchange places with Spurs in 5th.
The winter transfer window is well and truly over, and the clubs have made some changes to their roster. They now know what they have for the rest of the season, and would try to go as deep as possible in the multiple competitions they are involved in.
We tried to pick a combined starting 11 for the two teams in question. The two squads boast immense quality, especially in attack, and quite a few difficult decisions were made there. Let’s take a look at who makes the cut!
Note: Only the players declared fit for the match have been considered into the selection.
Goalkeeper
This one is the easiest decision to make. Spurs captain Hugo Lloris is the man between the sticks who faces no competition whatsoever from his Liverpool counterparts. He has 10 clean sheets in the league so far, and we expect him to rack up the clean sheets once this difficult run-in of fixtures ends next week.
Defence
Liverpool have the best home defensive record in the league, with only 7 conceded in 12 games at home. They also have bought Virgil van Dijk for a world-record fee for a defender. However, there are still a lot of evident gaps in that defensive line, and so we are not going to go with an all-Red defensive lineup, even if it’s Anfield.
At right back, we are going with Kieran Trippier, who has impressed immensely in that starting role, since Kyle Walker’s departure last summer. The same is the case with the other full-back, as Ben Davies takes control of the proceedings at left-back. His phenomenal start to the season, followed by the consistency shown has kept Danny Rose out of the lineup.
Another Spurs player that makes into this defensive set up is Jan Vertonghen who has enjoyed a good season so far, having had to shoulder extra responsibilities in the Spurs defence, in absence of his partner Toby Alderweireld.
Liverpool finally open their account in this lineup as the other centre back is Virgil van Dijk, who is still finding his feet at Liverpool, but whose quality is well-known.
Defensive Midfield
We are going with a two-man defensive midfield, one from each team, with Liverpool player (and Juventus target) Emre Can and Spurs midfielder Mousa Dembele making the lineup. Liverpool look much better when Can is playing, and that is why they have been trying to tie him up to a long-term contract. On the other hand, Dembele has always made a difference for Spurs, and had a solid game against Manchester United in the midweek.
Attacking Midfield
This is where things get interesting with a plethora of offerings in both squads.
Let’s start off with right wing position as that’s the only easy pick to make and it’s Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. Salah is looking for his 20th Premier League goal of the season, and is a strong contender for the Player of the Season title.
In the central attacking midfield role, we are going with the guy who scored a goal inside 11 seconds this Wednesday night, Christian Eriksen. Having just been cleared to compete in the match against United, Eriksen showed no signs of lack of fitness, and was quick to put Spurs in the lead in a crucial clash for them. He could have a huge say in this game against Liverpool.
The left wing position is a tough choice, but we remember what Sadio Mane did when the two clubs met last time at Anfield, and even though Heung-Min Son is in good form, we believe Mane is going to see this match as the opportunity to get back in form which helped him fire on all cylinders in the previous season.
Liverpool’s attack is arguably one of the best in Europe, and thus have helped them close in the numbers a bit in this combined lineup.
Notable misses: Dele Alli, Heung-Min Son
Forward
Roberto Firmino is in some form – he had a big part to play in handing Manchester City their first league defeat of the season, but when your opposition boasts of Harry Kane, there’s only so much you can do. Kane couldn’t complete his century of Premier League goals in the last game at Wembley, and Liverpool would hope that it doesn’t happen at Anfield, however, judging by what happened the last time these two teams met, and considering the Liverpool defence and the man between their sticks, this could well be the game where he gets that milestone.
Final players score: Spurs 7 – 4 Liverpool
What are your thoughts on the lineup? Do you agree with the selections, and would you replace anyone in this team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
