Lloris edges Mendy to goalkeeper spot in Tottenham-Chelsea Ultimate XI
Tottenham were poor on Sunday night, of that there is no doubt. The north London side put in a limp performance against Brighton and were made to pay in a 1-0 defeat to the Seagulls. A run of two wins in nine leaves Spurs lagging behind in the race to finish in the top four, and their task to secure a Champions League spot gets no easier when they welcome Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.
Thomas Tuchel's Blues side followed up a 0-0 draw with Wolves with a 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend and they'll be keen to use that victory as a foundation to build upon to get their own push for a spot in the top four back on track.
With a fierce London derby on the horizon, WhoScored look at the combined XI between the two sides, of those to have made five or more league appearances this season and excluding injured or suspended players.
In what Spurs fans will be hoping is a good omen, it is the north London side that edge out Chelsea 6-5 in this combined XI using a three-man backline that both managers have used of late.
Edouard Mendy (6.49) has made a solid start to life with Chelsea and only two goalkeepers have kept more more clean sheets than the Blues number one (9) in the Premier League this season. However, it's Hugo Lloris (6.78) who occupies the spot between the sticks in this XI. The Frenchman's save success rate of 75% is second only to Nick Pope (78.4%) to contribute towards Lloris' superior rating.
In a three-man defence, Kurt Zouma (7.23) is the best rated defender but is now injured and expected to miss out for the away side. The Frenchman wasn't expected to start anyway, however, as he has dropped down the pecking order under Thomas Tuchel with Antonio Rudiger back in favour. Teammate Thiago Silva (7.00) joins the 26-year-old at the back with Spurs man Toby Alderweireld (7.02) rounding off the backline.
At right wing-back, Serge Aurier (7.03) is another who has been dropped by his club of late after reacting angrily to his half time withdrawal in the 3-1 loss to Liverpool but the Ivorian has the best WhoScored rating of the options for his position. Ben Chilwell (6.96) started Tuchel's first game in charge at Chelsea, only to lose his spot to Marcos Alonso (6.59) for the win over Burnley. Chilwell, though, is the best rated player for the left wing-back role in this side.
It is a combative midfield in this XI with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (6.97) linking up with N'Golo Kante (6.94) in the middle of the park. Hojbjerg has proven an astute capture from Southampton, quickly becoming a key man in Jose Mourinho's side. Kante started the season brilliantly, however injury curtailed his momentum and while now back available for Tuchel, the German may elect to keep faith in the midfield partnership of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic for the London derby.
Mourinho has confirmed that Tanguy Ndombele (7.03) will be fit for selection on Thursday night, which is a welcome boost for the north London side after he was forced off in the second half at Brighton on Sunday. The Spurs star is joined by Mason Mount (7.38) in the two attacking midfielder roles. The England international dropped out of the XI for the 0-0 with Wolves, yet returned for the 2-0 win over Burnley. Tuchel is unlikely to make a repeat selection mistake any time soon.
Son Heung-Min (7.43) leads the charge in this combined XI. Harry Kane (7.83) would have been the focal point of the attack in this team, but his ankle injury sustained in the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool means it is Son who features on the frontline. The South Korean has 12 league goals and six assists to his name and while his best performances have come on the road, the 28-year-old is still a threat to any opponent. Son will be hoping there isn't a repeat of this match last season where he was red carded on the hour mark.
