Liverpool could equal the best-ever Premier League start if they make it 28 points from a possible 30 when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds saw their 100% start and 17-match top-flight winning run ended by a 1-1 draw at Manchester United last weekend, but they still boast a healthy lead at the top of the table and are unbeaten in the league since January.

Spurs, on the other hand, already sit 13 points adrift of Jurgen Klopp's side following a torrid run of form which is particularly poor on the road, where they have not won a league game since January.

Here, Sports Mole selects its strongest combined XI from both squads, using only players available for this weekend's match.

As was the case with last weekend's combined XI between Liverpool and United, the vast gulf in class between the two sides' performances this season means that the leaders dominating the team.

Alisson Becker is an easy choice between the sticks, particularly considering the continued absence of Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris, while three of the four in front of him are also relatively straightforward decisions.

Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are arguably the two best full-backs in the league now, with the latter expected to return from illness for Sunday's match, whereas Virgil van Dijk can lay a very strong claim to being the world's best defender.

The place alongside Van Dijk is more competitive, particularly with Joel Matip an injury doubt for this match, but if the Cameroonian is passed fit then his performances this season earn him a spot. Tottenham trio Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez have all been short of their best this season, while Matip has established himself ahead of Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren in the Liverpool pecking order.

The world-class talent up front forces us into a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum in the holding roles ahead of some stiff competition - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Naby Keita from Liverpool alone.

In most previous seasons the likes of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Eric Dier would have been in contention too, while Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks can also stake their claim, but on the basis of this campaign it is Liverpool who dominate this area of the team.

Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela also deserve mentions from Spurs, but the deadly Liverpool front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are all shoo-ins for a place.

The presence of Harry Kane forces Firmino into a number 10 role in this team, with the England captain leading the line as Tottenham's only representative. Kane has scored eight goals in 12 appearances across all competitions despite Tottenham's poor performances this season and remains arguably the league's best out-and-out striker.