Picking an Ultimate London Premier League XI
With Arsenal's recent and dramatic improvement now seeing them sit second to Chelsea in the Premier League table, it is a pretty good time for football in London.
The pair heads a division that also includes Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers. If we were to make a best XI featuring only players from the Premier League's capital clubs, would the top two dominate?
Well, yes, as it happens.
Thibaut Courtois
1 of 11
Forget being made to look like something of a fool by Charlie Adam recently, Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois has had a terrific first season in the Premier League, and it looks as though it's going to end with a league title.
It was always going to take someone special to dislodge Petr Cech from the Stamford Bridge goal, and in the young Belgian, who matured on loan at Atletico Madrid, the Blues have certainly found him.
Branislav Ivanovic
2 of 11
A remarkable goalscoring force from either centre-back or right-back, Branislav Ivanovic is a mainstay of the Chelsea defence and one of the first names on our teamsheet.
He has repeatedly weighed in with crucial strikes at crucial times for the Blues, while his defensive prowess mustn't be overlooked, either.
Laurent Koscielny
3 of 11
From being a virtual unknown in English football upon his arrival from Lorient in 2010, France's Laurent Koscielny has almost continually improved since—so much so that he is now a firm favourite of the Arsenal supporters, who continually sing his name.
Strong and quick, Koscielny is every inch the modern central defender and has become a player upon whom so much rests for Arsene Wenger's side.
John Terry
4 of 11
Considered over the hill by many just a couple of years ago, Chelsea's John Terry has bounced back into his best form and is still seen as the best English defender around by a lot of observers.
As strong as an ox and with a sense of positioning that seems to be improving as he gets older, Terry is Jose Mourinho's leader on the pitch, and neither man would want it any other way.
Cesar Azpilicueta
5 of 11
It would be possible to tweak the formation somewhat in order to get more of a star name into our team, but if we are going with a conventional back four, then Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta has to sneak into the side.
His excellent displays may go under the radar, but he performs a crucial role for Mourinho's Chelsea and could do the same for our London XI.
Nemanja Matic
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One man guaranteed a spot in our side was always going to be Chelsea's excellent defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic, who has arguably been their most important player during what looks to be a successful march toward the Premier League title.
The giant Serbian has turned shielding his back four, three of whom are in this side, into something of an art form, and he is understandably a firm favourite on the Stamford Bridge terraces.
Cesc Fabregas
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Matic's midfield partner Cesc Fabregas also takes his place alongside the Serbian in our London midfield, with the Spanish ace having seamlessly slipped back into Premier League life following his time away with Barcelona.
The former Arsenal man has been the king of the assists in the top flight this season and will be a creative force in this side as he looks to be the key cog in the supply chain for the talents ahead of him.
Alexis Sanchez
8 of 11
You thought we were turning into Chelsea for a bit then, didn't you? Well, there has to be room for Arsenal's newest hero Alexis Sanchez, who has been a revelation in his first season in the Premier League.
The former team-mate of Fabregas at Barcelona was also considered not good enough for the Catalans, but that verdict has been to the Gunners' gain, as he has quickly gone on to become a hero at the Emirates Stadium.
Mesut Ozil
9 of 11
His style might ensure that it is difficult for him to win admirers, but German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil is still largely loved by Arsenal fans thanks to his occasional moments of brilliance.
The former Real Madrid man can light up a game with a pass or a moment of quality, and he is a deserving member of team that is beginning to look formidable.
Eden Hazard
10 of 11
It's getting even more formidable now thanks to the addition of Belgian superstar Eden Hazard, bringing pace, dynamism, skill and goals to a side that was already hardly lacking in those qualities.
Hazard seemingly has everything, and as he stands at that level just below the two best players in the world, the staggering thing for Chelsea supporters and football fans in general is that he only seems to be getting better.
Diego Costa
11 of 11
We need a centre-forward to finish our side off, and although the claims for Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Tottenham's Harry Kane were loud and convincing, we're going with Chelsea's ultra-competitive, ultra-confrontational powerhouse Diego Costa.
The Spain international is a force of nature and a player who is very hard to stop when he is in full flow, something that could probably be said for this team too.
