Chelsea and Liverpool combined XI: A surprisingly healthy mix
By Mike Malley
Defensive midfielder: N’Golo Kante, Chelsea
N’Golo Kante had a tremendous outing against Brighton last week, which was extremely encouraging for Chelsea after the Frenchman missed a lot of time due to injury towards the end of last season. He made three tackles, six interceptions and completed 92.5 percent of his passes, the highest rate of any player in the match. He was, in one word, flawless.
He will have a much more difficult role to play on Sunday though, seeing as Liverpool’s attack is more potent than Brighton’s. Kante will probably try to control Roberto Firmino, who is still a dangerous forward even though he doesn’t score a ton of goals. The match-up between those two is certainly one I will be keeping an eye on as the match progresses.
Central midfielder: Jordan Henderson, Liverpool
I really went back and forth on this one because I think Jordan Henderson and Mateo Kovacic are pretty evenly matched players. In the end, my combined XI needed a captain, and there are few better in the Premier League than Hendo.
After finally leading Liverpool to the promised land and winning the Premier League title for the first time, Henderson cemented his place as a Liverpool legend. His physical and mental toughness give him an edge that allows him to be a great midfielder and an even better leader. His play may not attract a ton of attention from the casual spectator, but his cool head and smooth passing are key cogs in Klopp’s machine.
Central midfielder: Kai Havertz, Chelsea
Kai Havertz would probably be the first one to tell you he didn’t cover himself in glory in his Chelsea debut last weekend. He admitted in his first interview that the Premier League is tougher than the Bundesliga, suggesting that the style in England caught the German wunderkind off guard.
Havertz’s struggles were not entirely his fault, though. He was playing on the right wing, instead of his favored No. 10 role, and will probably have to do so again against Liverpool because of Hakim Ziyech’s knee injury. Regardless of where Havertz plays, he will be more prepared for the pace and physicality of the English top flight, and will hopefully have more confidence to create chances for his teammates.