Manchester City and Liverpool have dominated the Premier League over the past four seasons with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola taking their respective sides to unimaginable heights in the Premier League. The seeds of a rivalry between the two sides have been sown during this period as the two best sides in the country have been at loggerheads with each other in their intense fight for the championship.
Both Liverpool and Manchester City are littered with superstars across the pitch, and here is our combined XI for the two teams ahead of City’s visit to Anfield this Sunday.
GK: Alisson (Liverpool)
Although Ederson is the best ball-playing goalkeeper in Europe, Alisson is the more well-rounded option between the sticks and has enjoyed an incredible start to the season – keeping four clean sheets with a save percentage of 77.8%.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
While Kyle Walker starts over Trent Alexander-Arnold for England, the latter makes his way into our combined XI due to his contributions on both sides of the pitch. Alexander-Arnold creative number’s match up to the best players in the league and Europe, and the Englishman has registered a remarkable 34 PL assists since the 18/19 season.
CB: Ruben Dias (Manchester City) and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Ruben Dias and Virgil van Dijk are undeniably two of the best central defenders in the Premier League and have been the cornerstone behind their team’s respective title challenges over the past two seasons.
LB: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Joao Cancelo pips Andy Robertson for the left-back spot because of the excellent versatility shown by the Portuguese in the last two seasons. Despite being right-footed, Cancelo has slotted in seamlessly at left-back without upsetting the balance of the team and has been Manchester City’s second-biggest creative threat after Kevin de Bruyne.
CDM: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Fabinho is selected over Rodri and Fernandinho in the defensive midfield role in this combined XI as the Brazilian has evolved into one of the most important cogs for Liverpool over the past few seasons. Fabinho’s excellent defensive awareness, ability on the ball and engine make him one of the best CDM’s in the game, and his absence in midfield last season was one of the major reasons for Liverpool’s underperformance.
CM: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
After another stellar season for both club and country, Kevin de Bruyne is a no-brainer for this combined XI in the right central midfield role. Although injuries have hampered the Belgian’s start to the season, de Bruyne is widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the game and will play a crucial role for Manchester City on Sunday.
CM: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
The likes of Thiago and Gundogan were considered for this spot, but Bernardo Silva’s excellent form in recent weeks gives him the nod. Silva ran the show for City in their 1-0 win over Chelsea last week, and his immaculate technique mixed with incredible intensity off the ball makes the Portuguese one of the most underrated players in this current City side.
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah became the fastest Liverpool player to 100 PL goals against Brentford last week, and the ridiculous consistency shown by the Egyptian since arriving in 2017 puts him in the conversation for one of the best forwards this league has ever seen.
LW: Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Jack Grealish has settled in seamlessly at left-wing for Manchester City so far this season and has added another dimension to their attack with his dribbling and creativity.
ST: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
Out of all the positions, there were the fewest quality options in the centre-forward spot as City struggled to replace Sergio Aguero over the summer due to their failed pursuit of Harry Kane. Consequentially, Diogo Jota finds his place in this XI after the Portuguese enjoyed a bright start to the season with three goals in five starts.
[Image Credit: Liverpool FC]
Shivaan Shah