Tottenham vs Chelsea Combined XI: Record breaker Fernandez makes the cut
Tottenham and Chelsea face off on Sunday as both sides seek a big result. It's been a poor start to the year for the pair, who have suffered seven league losses between them. Here, we have put together a combined XI for the game based on WhoScored league ratings, and of those available for selection, with Tottenham edging the team with six players to Chelsea’s five.
Starting the team is probably one of the main reasons Chelsea aren’t further down the table. The Blues have the joint second-best defensive record in the Premier League, with 23 goals conceded, and with a save success rate of 74.2%, Kepa is a key reason behind this, keeping seven clean sheets in his 15 appearances this season. He is also averaging four accurate long balls per 90, helping Chelsea get forward, and himself to a 7.10 WhoScored rating.
Eric Dier starts the defence, with a WhoScored rating of 6.80 to his name. Only Harry Kane (2148) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (2053) have registered more minutes than Dier (2005) for Tottenham in the Premier League this season, highlighting his importance to the side. He is one of 10 players to score a goal for Spurs (2), but it is defensively where his best work is done, blocking more shots (17) than any other Spurs player this season, while his 41 headed clearances ranks 15th in the league.
At the heart of the back three is veteran defender Thiago Silva, who even at 38, is still well worth his 7.05 WhoScored rating. He, like Kepa, is another reason why Graham Potter’s side have shipped so few goals, maintaining a tackle success rate of 86.5% having been dribbled past just five times in 1793 minutes of action. He also ranks highly in the league for pass success rate (90.7%) making him a key link to start attacks.
Benoit Badiashile (Chelsea) – 6.94
Benoit Badiashile joined Chelsea in January and in his five appearances, the Blues have conceded only twice. He has maintained his high standards from Ligue 1, where he had a 72.4% aerial duel success rate, matching his Premier League return, as he makes life difficult for opponents. A Premier League tackle success rate of 81.8% is an improvment on his 66.7% in Ligue 1, and contributes towards his WhoScored rating of 6.94.
When Reece James plays, Chelsea are generally a better team, with a win percentage of 60.0% when he plays and 15.4% when he doesn’t, and he ranks as one of Chelsea’s best players this season, with a WhoScored rating of 7.06. He has been dribbled past only three times this campaign, while completing 19 of his 22 attempted tackles and is creating 1.1 key passes per game, emphasising the all-round nature to his play, while also winning possession in the midfield third 26 times, a steady sum for a player who has missed a large chunk of the season with injury.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham) – 7.13
With a WhoScored rating of 7.13 is one of Spurs’ key components to their team, holding things together and making things tick. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has won possession in the defensive third 61 times, a high value among midfielders in the league, and 95 timesin the midfield third, the fourth highest in the league. Even though he plays deep in the midfield, the Dane has also produced further up the pitch with four goals and three assists to his name.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) – 7.25
Partnering Hojbjerg is the British transfer record. Enzo Fernandez joined for a hefty price tag, but the World Cup winner has continued where he left off from Liga Bwin to accumulate an average WhoScored rating of 7.25 to justify the huge fee. He is averaging six accurate long balls per 90 in the Premier League, the third highest of outfielders, while of his 237 passes, only 26 have been inaccurate. Fernandez registered an assist in just his second appearance, carrying on from the five he registered in Portugal this season, which remains second in Liga Bwin.
Ivan Perisic (Tottenham) – 6.66
On the left side of midfield is Ivan Perisic with a WhoScored rating of 6.66. Even at 34, Perisic continues to be a nuisance for opposition defenders, driving down the left flank where he can whip the ball into the box, one of his key attributes. Indeed, the Croat is making 1.6 accurate crosses per game, that the best of all Spurs players, and is registering 1.3 key passes per game. Five assists ranks among the top 10 Premier League players this season.
Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham) – 6.89
Starting an all-Tottenham front three with a WhoScored rating of 6.89 is Sweden international Dejan Kulusevski. Carrying on his positive form from the second half of last season, Kulusevski has scored twice and registered five assists, with no Spurs playing creating more goals than the young forward. He is a player who likes to have the ball at his feet, and is continuing to impress in attack, registering a key pass every 43.9 minutes.
Harry Kane's superb season has been overshadowed by Erling Haaland's exploits, but the Tottenham star has still managed to score 17 times in his 24 appearances. 3.6 shots per game is the third highest in the league, while 41 key passes, the ninth most in the league, has helped Kane to a WhoScored rating of 7.46.
Son Heung-Min (Tottenham) – 6.91
This season hasn’t been the most prolific by Son Heung-Mind's standards, scoring five goals and assisting a further three, but he has still shown glimpses of quality. The South Korean isen averaging 2.4 shots a game, which ranks highly in the league, helping him to a WhoScored rating of 6.91.
