A combined Tottenham and Man United XI from current stars

Tom Allnutt 20:53 12/05/2017

Tottenham welcome Manchester United to north London on Sunday for the final game at their White Hart Lane home.

Spurs will relocate to Wembley next season before returning to a new stadium on the current site for the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

While Mauricio Pochettino’s side sit second after pushing Chelsea all the way in the title race, United are 12 points adrift of their hosts.

Here, Press Association Sport picks a combined Tottenham and Manchester United XI based on the current season.

FORMATION: (4-4-2 DIAMOND)

DAVID DE GEA – MANCHESTER UNITED

A tough decision with Spurs captain Hugo Lloris unlucky to miss out to De Gea, but the United goalkeeper has again been superb for the Red Devils this season.

The 26-year-old has won the club’s player of the year honour for the previous two campaigns and continues to impress behind a team nowhere near the level of the side he first came into at Old Trafford.

De Gea stat

ANTONIO VALENCIA – MANCHESTER UNITED

De Gea’s player of the year crown has been taken by the Ecuador international, who has become a key member of Jose Mourinho’s side this season.

The 31-year-old has now completed his conversion from a marauding winger to a full-back who can defend as well as he can make lung-busting runs to threaten the opposition’s penalty area.

Valencia stat

TOBY ALDERWEIRELD – TOTTENHAM

The Belgium defender goes from strength to strength and is arguably one of the first names on this particular team-sheet.

Alderweireld suits Pochettino’s approach perfectly and is comfortable on the ball while also offering a major physical presence in the Spurs backline, whether it is a three or four-man defence.

The 28-year-old has only been booked twice all season, proof that he can time his challenges and make the right decisions.

Alderweireld STAT

JAN VERTONGHEN – TOTTENHAM

While Eric Bailly has enjoyed a solid first campaign at Old Trafford, Alderweireld is partnered in defence by Spurs team-mate and compatriot Vertonghen.

The former Ajax man has played almost 150 Premier League games for Spurs and knows what the division is all about.

Enjoys getting on the ball even more than his fellow centre-back and can canter forward in possession to offer an outlet.

Vertonghen stat

DANNY ROSE – TOTTENHAM

The England full-back has been out injured in recent weeks but still deserves his place in this combined side.

Rose encapsulates everything about Pochettino’s philosophy, flying down the left and having an influence at both ends of the pitch.

The 26-year-old has been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford as Mourinho continues to deploy a string of different names in that position for United.

Rose stat

VICTOR WANYAMA – TOTTENHAM

An inspired addition to a Tottenham squad that was bursting with playmakers and goal threats, Wanyama has added plenty of steel to Pochettino’s midfield.

An enforcer who can play more football than most give him credit for, the Kenya international will always put in a foot, even if it earns him a booking or two.

The former Southampton man has picked up 11 cautions this season but is a key part of a side who have been Chelsea’s biggest threat.

Wanyama stat

MOUSA DEMBELE – TOTTENHAM

The statistics may not suggest as much but Dembele has been arguably Tottenham’s most important player this season.

His one league goal and two assists make light of the Belgian’s bulldozing presence in midfield, a combination of brute force, intricate passing and gliding runs into the opposition’s final third.

Dele Alli recently named Dembele as Spurs’ best player this term while Pochettino has cited the 29-year-old among five “geniuses” he has managed in his career.

Dembele stat

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – TOTTENHAM

After a slow start to the season, Eriksen developed into a key figure in the nine-match winning run which took Spurs to within touching distance of Chelsea.

The Dane is a set-piece specialist, provides Spurs with a significant goal threat and is someone who Pochettino rates as one of the best creators in the league.

Eriksen has 14 goals to his name this season and can operate in a number of different roles, another prerequisite for a Pochettino player.

Eriksen stat

DELE ALLI – TOTTENHAM

A second successive PFA Young Player of the Year award is proof enough that Alli would be the perfect number 10 in this side.

The 21-year-old has hit 21 goals in all competitions this season, including four in the last seven heading into this weekend.

Such a creative tour de force, Alli still has a competitive edge that sometimes oversteps the mark, but that is something that Pochettino has admitted he likes to see.

Dele Alli

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC – MANCHESTER UNITED

If there were any question marks over whether the veteran Swedish striker could cut it at United or in the Premier League, Ibrahimovic answered them in a way only he can.

The former Paris St Germain striker joined on a free transfer and quickly endeared himself to the United faithful, banging in goals for fun, including a brace in the EFL Cup final win over Southampton.

It was a such a shame that the 35-year-old injured his knee in the Europa League clash with Anderlecht in April and it remains to be seen if he will extend a deal at the club.

Zlatan stat

HARRY KANE – TOTTENHAM

An absolute banker in this team, Kane continues to score plenty of goals. The England striker finished as the top scorer in the Premier League last season with 25 goals and has netted another 21 already this term.

Only Everton’s Romelu Lukaku has more than that, a fact that is even more impressive considering Kane has twice been sidelined with ankle injuries this season.

Kane stat

All stats and screenshots are collated from Squawka. For more stats and players comparisons, visit Squawka.com

Copy provided by Press Association Sport

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