With the recent North London Derby, albeit a disappointing one, I wanted to take a look into a ‘London XI’. I wanted to see the best possible team I could make out of the current six London based clubs playing in the Premier League.
The current six teams we have are Tottenham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal.
To make the list as interesting and as fair as possible I have tried to include two players from each club with Palace having only one (sorry Palace).
The team is based solely on this season’s form, so in some cases positions may not include the overall best player available.
Goalkeeper – Edouard Mendy
After a string of horrendous performances and mistakes from Kepa, Senegalese international Mendy was brought in to solidify Chelsea’s back line.
His first season in England has consisted of an impressive 14 clean sheets in only 24 matches (Premier League).
He is a commanding presence in the Blue’s box and has proven his quality in a number of games, most recently against Leeds.
It could be argued that he is currently the best goalkeeper operating in London, however due to his arrival only coming recently it will take time to officially label him London’s best shot stopper.
Right Back – Vladimír Coufal
Coufal was signed by the Hammers as cover for the injured Ryan Fredricks in late 2020 for a fee of £5.4 million (BBC Sport). He has been arguably one of West Ham’s best performers this season along with Czech compatriot Souček.
One thing that stands out about the right-sided full-back is his tenacity and unwavering consistency. These traits have lead him to now become a fan favourite at the London Stadium, solidifying his place in the side for the foreseeable future.
Centre Back – Joachim Andersen
Fulham’s recent resurgence has stemmed from the Cottager’s improving on the defensive side of their game over the last couple of months. At the heart of this resurgence is Danish international Joachim Andersen.
After a shaky start to life in England the central defender has found fine form since the turn of the year. In 10 games spanning from January 27th to March 7th Fulham picked up 14 points out of a possible 30, whilst only conceding 6 goals in that time (Sky Sports).
With the current predicament Fulham are in these clean sheets may be priceless come the end of the season.
Centre Back – Thiago Silva
Silva was bought in by Roman Abramovich in the summer transfer window on a free (BBC Sport). With years of experience under his belt, he was signed to bring in the experience of a serial winner and a winners mentality.
Chelsea have been looking to push on and challenge for the title however things have not gone quite to plan up until now.
However one shining light has been the form of Silva. Up until his injury that he sustained against Tottenham just over a month ago Silva had been at the heart of a rock solid Chelsea defence.
Tuchel will be hoping he can bring the Brazilian back into the squad soon and utilise him to his full potential over the course of next season.
Left Back – Kieran Tierney
As much as it pains me to say it Arsenal have a diamond in the rough here with the Scottish full back. Tierney for me is the in the conversation this season for the best left back only coming in behind Luke Shaw.
His crossing abilities are nothing short of excellent and gives Arsenal the creativity they lack in too many areas.
Unfortunately we saw the full extent of his abilities last weekend, giving Doherty a game to forget in which he was outclassed for the full 90 minutes.
The Scotsman provides tenacity and resilience that most of their squad seem to lack. He has only registered 1 goal and 2 assists (TransferMarkt) however his direct approach and pinpoint crossing is clearly vital to keeping Arsenal in the top half.
Central Midfield – Tomáš Souček
Souček has been an absolute revelation at West Ham this season. The 6ft 4 inch Czech international has been the key ingredient in West Ham’s astonishing Champions League push.
Playing along side Declan Rice the midfield, the pairing have cultivated a wonderful partnership in front of the Hammers defence.
His aerial ability is unmatched, which has not only helped his team when protecting their own goal but is a constant threat in the oppositions area as well.
The midfielder since arriving in London has registered 8 goals in 28 Premier League games this season (TransferMarkt), which for a predominately defensive minded player is outstanding and has been the difference on more than one occasion.
Central Midfield – Zambo Anguissa
Alongside the aforementioned Andersen, Anguissa has been the spark recently in a Fulham side that are fighting to retain their top flight status.
The Cameroonian powerhouse is one of the most versatile midfielders in the Premier League.
He possess the ability to break up play with ease using his size and stature but rather than passing the responsibility onto someone else, he uses the ball magnificently to drive the Cottagers forward and start counter attacks himself.
On the 12th March Anguissa was the only midfielder in the whole of Europe to complete 50+ take ons and also register 50+ tackles (Squawka).
This shows perfectly how vital Anguissa is to a reborn Fulham side and could be the man that leads them into the Premier League 2021/22 season.
Right Midfield – Bukayo Saka
As much as I hate to say it, Arsenal have a gem on their hands. The 19-year-old is one of, if not the most, exciting English prospects currently playing in the Premier League.
At the start of the season is it seemed he was on a one man mission to keep Arsenal from being relegated.
The key thing that stands out about Saka is the maturity that he possesses for a teenager. He seemingly plays without fear, running directly at players looking to beat his man and get the ball into the box.
This is reflected in his stats this season, with Saka leading the way in goals, assists, touches in the opposition box and chances created for teenagers in the English top flight (Football Daily).
Saka week in week out takes the game into his own hands and is more often that not the difference maker at Arsenal.
Number 10 – Eberechi Eze
Eze has been a breath of fresh air for Palace fans this season. With them being so reliant on Zaha the past few seasons, it has been a welcomed changed to see someone else pulling the strings in a largely uninspiring Palace midfield.
After arriving from QPR last season there was a lot of expectation for him to be the one to replace Zaha. It would be unfair to base Eze solely on his stats this season with him only contributing to 6 goals directly this season, in the form of 3 goals and 3 assists (TransferMarkt).
With Palace’s strikers struggling to find the back of the net, Eze would undoubtedly have more favourable goal contributions in a side with more quality leading the line. I can see the young Englishman potentially making his way up to a top side in the future.
Left Midfield – Heung Min Son
Who else but Son? The Korean this season has been breathtaking at times and has been one of the players of the season in the Premier League.
Creating a partnership along side Harry Kane which has resulted in a recording breaking 14 goals between them (Premier League) has kept Tottenham in the conversation for a top four finish.
Son has always been a top player but had previously lacked the consistency to move him into the world class bracket. The recipient of the last Puskás award has put up 22 goal contributions in only 28 matches in the current Premier League campaign (TransferMarkt).
The numbers really highlights how integral he has been and how sorely he will be missed if his recent injury against Arsenal sees him sidelined for an extended period of time.
Centre Forward – Harry Kane
For me the best player in the Premier League this season, Kane has been absolutely unstoppable. He has taken his game to a new level incorporating a passing range that is unmatched for by any centre forward around Europe.
It has always been clear for all to see that Kane is absolutely lethal in and around the box. In goals alone Kane has posted 16 goals in 26 matches (TransferMarkt), however what’s more astonishing is how he has adapted his game to fit Mourinho’s more defensive style.
A trademark of Kane’s this season has been dropping deep into pockets around opposition midfield and putting balls through between full backs and centre backs. This gives Son and Bale the freedom to make aggressive run penetrating the box early.
He is currently on track to break Henry’s record for most assists in the season currently at 13 (TransferMarkt) only needing 7 more to break the Frenchman’s record of 20 (90 Min).
For someone who is renowned for finishing attacks rather than creating them, it just goes to show how unique Harry Kane’s football brain is and how his adaptability in different situations makes him irreplaceable at Tottenham.
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