Picking a Combined Liverpool-Tottenham Hotspur XI
Liverpool vs. Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield could be a pivotal game in the context of the Premier League title race, so let's pick a combined Reds-Spurs XI.
With second-placed Liverpool 12 points ahead of sixth-placed Spurs, you would expect most of this combined XI will comprise of Liverpool players, but how many Spurs players would make your joint XI?
Don't hesitate to comment below with your views.
GK: Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)
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From a statistical perspective, Simon Mignolet has marginally outperformedย Hugo Lloris in the Premier League this season.ย
| League Only | Lloris | Mignolet |
| ย | ย | ย |
| Saves | 80 | 87 |
| Goals Conceded | 39 | 39 |
| Saves Per Goal Concededย | 2.1 | 2.2 |
| Save Percentage | 67.8 | 71.3 |
| Clean Sheetsย | 12 | 9 |
| ย | ย | ย |
| Source: Fox Soccer | ย | ย |
| ย | ย | ย |
Mignolet has made countless crucial saves such as denying Stoke City right wingerย Jonathan Walters from the penalty spot and stoppingย Southampton wide forwardย Jay Rodriguez from scoring, which was pointed out byย Liverpool managerย Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool's official website:
"Away from home there are critical moments in games and he [Mignolet] had made that save going the wrong way. That's what he is, a brilliant shot-stopper.
"
RB: Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
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Glen Johnson has no competition for the starting right-back spot becauseย Jon Flanagan is chopping and changing from right to left.ย
Whenย Johnson is fully fit and not restricted by a bothersome ankle, he is one of the most dangerous attacking right-backs in the Premier League.ย
He givesย Liverpool managerย Brendan Rodgers another dimension, which is why the management wants to retainย Johnson, perย James Pearce at theย Liverpool Echo.ย
CB: Martin Skrtel (Liverpool)
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Liverpool have seen how badย Martin Skrtel can be with three own goals this season and an inability to organise the back line.
However, when he is in form, he is a reliable passing outlet, who is strong in the air and is a threat from set-pieces.ย
Skrtel has scored more goals in the Premier League this season (six) than Chelsea'sย ยฃ50 million-valuedย Fernando Torres (four).ย
CB: Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool)
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Yes,ย Mamadou Sakho has not been a week-in, week-out starter, but when he does play, he is class epitomised.ย
He brings serenity toย Liverpool's defence, he is a physical presence, accurate passer (91.8 pass completion percentage) and does not dive into tackles (has not accumulated a yellow card in the Premier League yet).
He looks like a completely different player to theย Paris Saint-Germain version, who was prone to mistakes.
Ifย Sakho continues to improve, he is going to be a future stalwart ofย Liverpool's defence.ย
LB: Jon Flanagan (Liverpool)
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Jon Flanagan is a diligent, hard-working and reliable player forย Liverpool.
He throws his weight around, for example making 11 tackles against Manchester United.
He overpowered United's attacking midfielderย Juan Mata to such an extent that the Spaniard refused to play anywhere nearย Flanagan.
Flanagan's versatility in playing right- and left-back is handy, but the management needs to figure out his permanent position: right-back or left-back?
RCM: Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
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Jordan Henderson is finally showing signs that he can live up to hisย ยฃ16 million price tag, perย Rory Smith at the Telegraph.
Henderson has been at his creative best forย Liverpool, accumulating seven assists and being able to open up opposing defences.ย
Not only is he an incisive passer, but he is an accurate one, as he completes 86.9 percent of his passes.
CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
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Steven Gerrard is showing no signs ofย deterioration.
He has started 26 of 31 Premier League games forย Liverpool this season, continuing to be an all-round midfielder.ย
He has registered 78 tackles, intercepted 37 passes, scored 11 goals and created another nine.ย ย
He has been waiting for a league title since 1998 and he could leadย Liverpool to their first ever Premier League title this season.ย
LCM: Nabil Bentaleb (Tottenham Hotspur)
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Nabil Bentaleb is a 6'2", technically gifted, ball-playing footballer who glides across midfield.ย
He wants the ball, he can make tackles (36 in 13 Premier League games) and he is an accurate distributor making 87.5 percent of his passes. ย ย
This is why Tottenham Hotspur managerย Tim Sherwood has tunnel vision and is persisting with the 19-year-old Algerian international even when he has made naive mistakes.ย
Next season,ย Bentaleb needs to work on spreading the ball around the field more often, because while keeping the ball is good, he has a habit of playing the ball backwards which stops Spurs' attacking momentum.ย
CAM: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)
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Tottenham Hotspur managerย Tim Sherwood plays Christian Eriksen on the left, even though the Danish international drifts in and performs his best centrally.ย
Eriksen is turning into Spurs' most valuable player this season and he cost the club ยฃ11.5 million, per BBC Sport, which wasย ยฃ14.8 million cheaper thanย Erik Lamela (ยฃ25.8 million, per the Guardian).ย
Eriksen was involved in every one of Spurs' three goals during their 3-2 win overย Southampton: He scored twice and set upย Gylfi Sigurdsson for the winner.ย
CF: Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
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Liverpool owner John W. Henry bluffed everyone whenย Arsenal submitted aย ยฃ40 million plus one pound offer for deep-lying forwardย Luis Suarez.ย
It was not a clause which informedย Suarez of a club's interest, it triggered a buyout clause.ย
"Contracts don't seem to mean a lot in England, actually, in world football,"ย Henry said, per theย MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (h/t the Guardian). "Since apparently these contracts don't seem to hold, we took the position that we're just not selling."
What a gusty move sinceย Henry risked being sued for breachingย Suarez's contract.ย
Suarez got over his sulky demeanour, and now he is smiling, enjoying his football and is on course to become to the greatest Premier League footballer ever.ย
Suarez's 28 goals and 11 assists in 26 league games trumpsย FIFA Ballon d'Or winnerย Cristiano Ronaldo's 27 goals and seven assists in 26 games for Real Madrid this season.ย
CF: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
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Fernando Torres orย Daniel Sturridge?
Chelsea opted forย Torres, and duringย Andre Villas-Boas' tenure, he did not seeย Sturridge as a No. 9, rather the Blues' answer to Hulk.
"He [Sturridge] has natural ability to play on the right flank,"ย Villas-Boas said, perย Duncan White at the Telegraph. "He has the opportunity to offer me the characteristics I had with Hulk when I was at Porto."
Now, 30 goals and 10 assists in 37 Premier League games later forย Liverpool, lettingย Sturridge go is one of Chelsea's worst transfer decisions ever.ย
Sturridge's partnership withย Luis Suarez is at times telepathic.ย
Statistics viaย WhoScored
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