Find out who makes our Chelsea & Spurs Premier League ultimate XI
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Antonio Conte’s Chelsea welcome Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge this weekend, with the hosts looking to stretch their unbeaten run against Spurs in the league at home to 27.
And a victory for the Blues will see them retain top spot in the Premier League for another week, while simultaneously ending Spurs’ unbeaten start to the season.
But enough about the present – we’ve put our heads together in the Ladbrokes News office to come up with a Chelsea/Spurs Premier League ultimate XI, combining players from the past with a handful of current stars.
The result? A simply stunning squad, with probably the best subs bench you’re ever likely to see…
GK – Petr Cech
The 34-year-old spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, and has one of the most impressive trophy cabinets to show for his time with the club.
Four Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, three League Cups, a Europa League and a Champions League were all achieved by the shotstopper in west London – there’s no way any other goalkeeper from these two sides is ahead of Cech for the number one spot.
LB – Ashley Cole
Love him or hate him, there’s no disputing the fact that Ashley Cole was one of the best left-backs the Premier League has ever seen.
And for that reason alone, he makes our XI.
CB – John Terry
There’s a pattern emerging here.
But the truth is that Chelsea’s back-five in the mid-noughties was one of the best in world football. And this man was the captain of that formidable force.
CB – Ledley King
There is room for one Spurs player in this defence though – Mr Tottenham Hotspur himself, Ledley King.
Unfortunately, King’s injuries cut his career short. But there’s no doubting his ability. King managed to pick up 21 senior caps for England in a time where Terry and Rio Ferdinand were at their best.
And that’s why he makes our back-four.
RB – Branislav Ivanovic
Rounding off our defensive unit is 32-year-old Ivanovic. Since arriving at Chelsea in 2008, the Serbia international has represented his club on 237 occasions in the league.
He’s still a key figure at Stamford Bridge, and nobody is denying him a place in this combined XI.
CM – Luka Modric
Spurs went mighty close to winning the Premier League last campaign, and although it’s easy to say in hindsight, it almost certainly would have been theirs if Modric was still at White Hart Lane.
The Croatian secured a big-money move to Real Madrid back in 2012, but he’s still loved by supporters and is respected by everyone in football. A modern day genius.
CM – Frank Lampard
Are you really expecting us to justify this selection?
RM – Gareth Bale
Like Modric, Bale’s impact last year would have almost definitely secured Spurs their first ever Premier League title.
He’s fast becoming Britain’s best footballing export, already with two Champions Leagues to his name at Madrid.
LM – Gianfranco Zola
In 2003, Zola was voted Chelsea’s greatest ever player. And it says a lot about just how good he was that he’s kept Eden Hazard out of this side.
In 1996 he arrived at Stamford Bridge having spent his whole career playing in Italy, and there was a fear that he wouldn’t adapt to the English game.
229 appearances later, he left a legend.
ST – Didier Drogba
Eyebrows were raised in July 2004 when then-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho parted with £24m for Drogba – but the Ivory Coast man more than proved his worth.
104 goals makes him the 24th-top scorer in Premier League history, with those strikes coming in just 254 appearances, making him one of the most prolific strikers the division has ever seen.
ST – Teddy Sheringham
While some may be wondering why Harry Kane isn’t in this XI, the 23-year-old still has a long way to go if he is to match the high standards set by Spurs legend Teddy Sheringham.
The striker had two spells at the lane, either side of a £3.5m move to Manchester United in 1997, and during his time in north London, he scored a staggering 98 goals.
Partnered up-front with Didier Drogba, it’s frightening to think what these two could have done together.
So there we have it: that’s our best XI. Think we’re missing someone? The bench isn’t too shabby, either…
GK – Hugo Lloris
DEF – Sol Campbell
DEF – Ricardo Carvalho
MID – Claude Makelele
MID – Eden Hazard
ST – Harry Kane
ST – Robbie Keane
STILL think someone else deserves a spot?
Let us know who’d make your team in the comments section below!
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
