Salah in Liverpool, Tottenham combined XI that features only three Spurs players

Liverpool host Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. As it is a match between two ‘Big Six’ teams, we have done a combined XI.

It is a misery derby with little riding on it, but still.

GK: Alisson (Liverpool)

Has been world-class since joining Liverpool in July 2018, a transfer that incidentally came a couple of months after they smashed seven past him across two Champions League semi-final legs.

Alisson has not been as convincing this season but is still better than Guglielmo Vicario and remains one of the best goalkeepers in the business.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

A seriously talented footballer, Alexander-Arnold has his fair share of critics due to his subpar defensive ability, but we feel like that is heavily outweighed by his freakish ability on the ball a lot of the time. Not always, because he can be catastrophically poor defensively, but yes, a lot of the time.

Pedro Porro has been superb this season but always seems to come up short in our Tottenham combined XI. Sorry, Pedro.

CB: Cristian Romero (Tottenham)

Hot-headed Argentine Romero is our first Spurs player and one of only three in this combined XI. He can become a world-class player one day, we are sure of that.

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

King Virgil is still the best centre-back in the Premier League. Micky van de Ven is good, but he is no Van Dijk.

LB: Andy Robertson (Liverpool)

Robertson is the highest-rated left-back in the Premier League this season (by WhoScored), which we feel is quite surprising. He has not been great. Maybe this just emphasises the overall standard in this position. If only Porro was a left-back, eh?

Destiny Udogie’s debut season in England was very impressive from a player of his experience, but he is still quite raw and just missed out on our combined XI having decided to change my ways and consider injured players. Despite the change of heart, he still misses out.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

Has arguably been the Reds’ best player this season. Has definitely been their best player since the turn of the year. Mac Allister has excelled after a slow start at Anfield, with his role as a defensive midfielder hindering him early on this campaign.

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CM: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)

Call us what you want, but the options are not as great as we had hoped. Mac Allister is a top player but his midfield colleagues have not been on the same level as him this season, and in particular since the turn of the year. Wataru Endo has improved but is easily replaced, Curtis Jones blows hot and cold, Harvey Elliott is not as good as those two, and Ryan Gravenberch is a decent player but has not played enough in his debut season at Anfield.

Tottenham’s options are fairly uninspiring as well. On their day, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur – who has not been the same thanks to his injury problems – are excellent, while Pape Matar Sarr is a player with huge potential and very nearly got in ahead of Szoboszlai, who has underwhelmed in truth. He is just about the best of the lot.

AM: James Maddison (Tottenham)

Has been off the boil in recent weeks, in all honesty. Ange Postecoglou rightly dropped him against Chelsea on Thursday as his early-season form continues to desert him.

Despite this, Maddison is a talented boy and deserves his place in our combined XI, in what is a fairly lacklustre midfield three by the standards of these two teams.

RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

One of the best players in Premier League history. Has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons after a bust-up with Jurgen Klopp on the touchline during West Ham 2 Liverpool 2 last Saturday.

Salah has the sort of ability that commands a place in any team in world football, let alone a combined XI with Tottenham bloody Hotspur. No disrespect intended, lads.

LW: Luis Diaz (Liverpool)

Been far from outstanding this season and it was a tough decision to pick between him and Diogo Jota. Also considered putting Heung-min Son here and having a mid-off between Richarlison and Darwin Nunez for the striker.

Diaz was the one who had a legal goal disallowed in the reverse fixture so will be influenced by revenge, which is a good thing to be fuelled by. Most of the time.

ST: Heung-min Son (Tottenham)

The Spurs captain has been in solid goalscoring form this campaign, scoring 16 goals and providing nine assists. More importantly, though, the South Korean looks like he is enjoying his job again after being held back by Antonio Conte’s negative style and personality in 2022/23.

📣 TO THE COMMENTS! Do you agree with our combined XI? If not, what would you change? Join the debate here.

More: Liverpool | Tottenham | Jurgen Klopp