Ahead of Tottenham’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday, we select a combined XI based on current form and who’s available for the crucial Premier League clash.
Just two points and two places separate Liverpool and Tottenham in the table, with Sunday’s hosts currently occupying the third of four Champions League spots.
Here, we tackle the tricky proposition that is picking the strongest XI from the players currently in line to feature. Inevitably, some big names miss out…
GOALKEEPER
While this combined XI will serve up some contentious decisions, there will be little argument over Hugo Lloris’ position between the sticks. The Tottenham captain has kept 10 clean sheets in the Premier League so far, with a save percentage of 69%, a considerable improvement on Liverpool duo Simon Mignolet (59%) and Loris Karius (45%).
DEFENCE
Toby Alderweireld has returned to first-team training following a three-month absence through injury. Spurs’ defence markedly improves when the 28-year-old features, and though he has played just 10 league games this season, five of Tottenham’s 11 league clean sheets have come with Alderweireld in the side.
However, Pochettino is unlikely to disrupt his current centre-back pairing for this big clash at Anfield, with Jan Vertonghen - an ever-present in the league this season - and Davinson Sanchez outlining how Spurs arguably possess the top three central defenders in the league. As a result, Vertonghen and Sanchez make our XI, with Alderweireld likely to start on the bench this Sunday.
That also means there is no room for Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, the world’s most expensive defender, who must learn to handle the £75m price tag when trying to resolve their defensive problems.
Meanwhile, Spurs’ four full-backs - Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier and Ben Davies – are a cut above that of Liverpool’s (Joe Gomez, Alberto Moreno, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson).
Though Pochettino has found it tough to settle on his full-backs this season, here we will make an executive decision and opt for Davies and Aurier.
Davies has secured four assists this season and proven himself a worthy competitor for fellow left-back Rose, while Aurier has impressed when called upon this campaign. His average of 3.2 tackles per match is more than any other Premier League defender who has made more than 10 appearances.
MIDFIELD
Moving further up field, there is an abundance of attacking quality to choose from, and while it would be tempting to pick six such players and label it ‘Total Football’, it would be remiss of us not to pick two defensive midfielders, given that both clubs have frequently gone with 4-2-3-1.
Tricky choices must therefore be made in attack, but first comes the equally-difficult decision of selecting two holding midfielders. On current form, the pair who make the cut are Spurs’ Mousa Dembele and Liverpool’s Emre Can.
Of all the midfielders under consideration (also Eric Dier, Georginio Wijnaldum, Victor Wanyama and Jordan Henderson), Can has made considerably more tackles than the other five (54, Dier second with 41), while also scoring two goals and producing three assists in the league this season – the other five have two goals and three assists between them.
The German’s willingness to go forward means Dembele would complement him well – the Belgian rarely ventures forward, having touched the ball just twice in the opposition box all season, though that does not make him your typical defensive midfielder, for his calmness and confidence on the ball is as strong as his willingness to retrieve it.
In attacking midfield, Dele Alli narrowly misses out to a Tottenham team-mate, while the departure of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona helps considerably too. Seven league goals and seven assists only begins to tell the story of Christian Eriksen’s importance for Tottenham. The Dane continues to make Spurs tick in attack, putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win over Manchester United on Wednesday.
In Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Liverpool possess a duo who will give full-backs sleepless nights in the build-up to matches, and most likely nightmares after.
Where do you begin with Salah? 19 leagues goals is a start, while a further six assists proves the Egypt international has already justified his £34.3m summer fee from Roma a number of times over.
Mane meanwhile is looking back to his best after a December dip in performance. On target in wins over Burnley and Manchester City this year, the recent loss to Swansea proved that when Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino are misfiring, the club will struggle to pick up points.
STRIKER
Last but not least, the talisman leading the line goes to none other than Harry Kane. The Spurs striker ended 2017 with a flourish, and has continued that fine form into the New Year, netting twice in the 4-0 win over Everton and once more in the 1-1 draw with Southampton - 21 goals this season makes him the league's top scorer, two ahead of Salah.
Notable mentions in attack must go to Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino – who has been no slouch in front of goal this season, having found the net 19 times in all competitions – and Spurs’ Heung-min Son, who put in a man-of-the-match display against Everton recently, and has been a terrific foil for Spurs when opposition defenders are focusing so heavily on Kane.