Selecting Tottenham's best XI so far this season

Considering the amount of injuries, suspensions and international absences Tottenham has endured this season, picking a preferred starting lineup for Ange Postecoglou's side could be tricky. Given we're more than halfway through the Premier League season, we've seen enough to take a crack at it.

GK - Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has taken to the Premier League very well despite being seen as the "cheap" option to Arsenal's David Raya over the summer. While Tottenham has conceded its fair share of goals this season (35), Vicario has consistently produced highlight-reel saves while proving crucial to how Postecoglou's side is instructed and expected to play out of defense. For now, his set-piece ability appears to be all that's lacking.

RB - Pedro Porro

Already known for his attacking prowess at Sporting CP, Pedro Porro didn't take long to adjust to the inverted fullback role under Postecoglou. His seven Premier League assists so far this season sees him level with attackers Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) and Phil Foden (Manchester City), while being one off Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and three behind league-leading Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa). And yet, his ability to adapt defensively has arguably been even more impressive.

CB - Cristian Romero

Moments of madness aside, Cristian Romero's value to this Tottenham side isn't up for debate. One of two vice-captains in the squad, Romero has taken on more of a leadership role this season, stepping in to fill the void left by the prolonged absence of fellow vice-captain James Maddison (injury) and club captain Son Heung-min (Asian Cup). His quality on the ball is crucial to Tottenham's style of play, as is his knack for reading the game.

CB - Micky van de Ven

Alongside Romero, when fit, is the ever-impressive Micky van de Ven. He's rapid as ever despite missing nearly two months with a hamstring injury and, like Romero, his ball-playing ability allows Tottenham to remain on the front foot. Despite their relatively small sample of matches, the center-back duo appears to be a match made in heaven.

LB - Destiny Udogie

Destiny Udogie may not boast as impressive an end product as Porro, registering two goals and three assists, but that doesn't diminish his value. He's only 21 years old and competing in his first year as a starter in the Premier League, a truly staggering notion. Mistakes and miscommunication are part of the game, especially for this young and developing squad, but Porro and Udogie have accelerated the rebuild at Tottenham. The latter even agreed to a new, long-term contract in December.

CM - Pape Matar Sarr

Pape Sarr, like Udogie, is just 21 years old. And while he got a taste of Premier League action last season, he's been allowed to shine this campaign. He's repaid Postecoglou's trust in spades, leading to an improved, long-term contract. Even with others returning to the fold, be it from injury or international duty, Sarr's consistency should see him start more often than not.

CM - Yves Bissouma

Given Tottenham's current squad, we may have finally reached the first point of contention in picking its best XI. There will likely be scenarios that call for Rodrigo Bentancur to start, but the edge goes to Bissouma. That's not a knock against Bentancur, especially considering that he's come back from multiple serious injuries this campaign, but early-season Bissouma showed flashes of Tottenham's most impressive player. Whether he can get back to those highs remains to be seen.

CM/AM - James Maddison

There's no denying the creative force that is James Maddison. Unfortunately, an injury derailed his excellent start to the season. While not back up to speed quite yet, he's another key cog in Tottenham's attack and provided an assist in his second PL match back in the 2-2 draw with Everton. Before picking up the injury against Chelsea, Maddison registered three goals and five assists for Postecoglou's side. Despite being in his first season with Tottenham, he's also one of two vice-captains.

RW - Dejan Kulusevski

Kulusevski's future may lie in central midfield, but for now, he's Tottenham best option on the right wing. Summer signing Brennan Johnson is an effective player. His two goals and four assists nearly match Kulusevski's five goals and two assists. But it's Kulu's ability to carry the ball and cover large amounts of ground that set him apart from everybody else in the squad. Regardless of where he lines up, Tottenham's best XI includes the Swede.

ST - Richarlison

A mentally healthy and physically fit Richarlison has quickly gone to show why Tottenham paid so much for his services. After a rocky start to life at Tottenham, Richarlison has repaid Postecoglou's faith with 10 league goals, including nine in his previous eight matches. Additionally, his pressing ability is almost as crucial as his offensive output. He is relentless off the ball, holds up play well and has rediscovered his fine form in front of goal. Replacing Harry Kane is impossible. Maybe that pressure weighed on Richarlison initially. If so, that no longer appears to be the case.

LW - Son Heung-min

We thought last season could have been the beginning of the end of Son's superstar form in North London. It turns out he played injured for most of the season. He tallied 10 goals and six assists in 2022-23, a far cry from his Golden Boot-winning campaign of 23 goals the year prior, but he's been back to his best this season with returns of 12 goals and five assists already.

He's also had to fill the void left by generational striker Harry Kane, who left for Bayern Munich the day before the season started. Despite the loss, Son has become club captain with on-pitch performances to match. It's difficult to argue against his ability to play through the middle in Postecoglou's system, but with the form Richarlison finds himself in, this is where we're at.