On Matchday 7 of the Premier League, Tottenham will face Liverpool after only recently drawing 2-2 with rivals Arsenal in the North London Derby.
The Reds, however, have won seven straight games and have recently defeated West Ham and Leicester City three times each.
Let’s separate out the best of the best by assembling an XI of Tottenham and Liverpool players before this game between two top-four Premier League teams.
Which team has more players represented?
Defense
GK Alisson, Liverpool
LB Andy Robertson, Liverpool
CB Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool
CB Cristian Romero, Tottenham
RB Pedro Porro, Tottenham
Although Guglielmo Vicario seems like a good acquisition for Tottenham, he won’t replace Alisson Becker anytime soon. With all due respect to his teammates, Alisson is by far the finest goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Alisson’s position as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League is secure with a save percentage above 80 to begin the 2023–24 season.
Even as a neutral, it is fantastic to see Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk back in peak form since they are two of the finest players in the world at their respective positions.
To start the 2023–24 season, Robertson has been a dynamic playmaker while also getting back to his top defensive form. While VVD makes defense appear so ordinary and carefree, it’s simple to criticize him when things don’t go right for Liverpool.
Unfortunately, that is the incorrect viewpoint. Van Dijk is an excellent player who shouldn’t be held accountable for every goal the Reds concede.
Given how brilliantly Joe Gomez has begun the season, Tottenham wins the right side of this back four, but it was a tight battle. However, Pedro Porro has been just as strong and will provide a little more energy moving ahead.
As a center back, Cristian Romero will suffer greatly from “fail comps” when his high-risk, high-reward play doesn’t pan out. But you have to consider all he brings to the Spurs with his capacity to seize the initiative and convert it into offense.
Midfield
CM James Maddison, Tottenham
DM Yves Bissouma, Tottenham
CM Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool
No, Yves Bissouma isn’t a single-pivot defensive anchor, but with this midfield three, I can make the numbers work with a little bit of free-styling. Spurs will need Bissouma to continue performing at his current level if they hope to remain in the top four even when Rodrigo Bentancur returns to the mix in 2023–24. Bissouma has been outstanding so far this season.
James Maddison has been far and away Spurs’ finest player to begin the hopeful Ange Postecoglou era, as brilliant as Bissouma has been.
The new addition from Leicester City has performed even better since moving to North London, and he should legitimately be the front-runner for Premier League Player of the Year.
Rodri has been excellent, but Maddison is much more crucial to Spurs’ success than the holding midfielder for Manchester City.
The trio is completed by one more recent addition. A perfect illustration of Dominik Szoboszlai’s ability to change the course of a game was his goal against Leicester.
Szoboszlai has been almost as crucial to Liverpool’s chances creation creatively as Maddison, so you would assume he can only move up from here.
Szoboszlai has obviously worked to improve his defensive strength, which has allowed him to convert from being purely an offensive midfielder to being a part of a midfield three.
Forwards
LW Luis Díaz, Liverpool
ST Son Heung-min, Tottenham
RW Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
The front line is rather basic, but because to the outstanding talent between Tottenham and Liverpool, several brilliant players, such Dejan Kulusevski and Darwin Nez, had to be left out.
The Reds’ troubles last season without Luis Dáz, one of the finest dribblers in the world, are evidence that he is a crucial component of their success. Son Heung-min, who scored two goals against Arsenal, has been in excellent form this season after a disappointing 2022–23 campaign.
The biggest star in the Premier League, along with Erling Haaland, is Mohamed Salah.
Outside of Anfield, Salah’s outstanding start to the season has been somewhat overshadowed by all the (earned) accolades for Maddison, but three goals and four assists in six games is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Even though Salah’s major reputation is as a world-class goal scorer, he is one of the finest opportunity makers in the Premier League.