Kyle Walker over Trent Alexander-Arnold? Alisson or Ederson in goal and can red-hot Darwin Nunez make it into the team with Erling Haaland nailed on up-front? – Who makes the cut in our combined Man City vs Liverpool XI?
- Man City and Liverpool go head-to-head in a huge clash at Etihad on Saturday
- The sides are separated by a single point at the top of the Premier League table
- City-Liverpool is tough to referee… but our campaign is up and running – IAKO
Manchester City welcome Liverpool to the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime in a mouth-watering return to Premier League action.
The two dominant sides of the last half decade go into the clash separated by a single point and look set to recommence the rivalry that has produced some of the most high-quality football matches the English top-flight has ever witnessed.
The encounter would do well to be even half as entertaining as the game that immediately preceded the final international break of the year, City’s thrilling 4-4 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
But if there’s any fixture that could eclipse it, this one ranks among the most likely and with the sides more evenly matched than they have been in a couple of seasons, it makes selecting a combined XI extremely tough.
Here at Mail Sport we’ve set ourselves that daunting task and have made some incredibly difficult choices ahead of the showdown on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are the Premier League’s two longest-serving managers
Man City are aiming to stamp their authority as they bid to win a fourth straight Premier League title
Liverpool arrive at the Etihad in a confident mood after their great start to the campaign following a summer of change
Formation 4-3-3
Goalkeeper
Alisson (Liverpool)
The debate between Ederson and Alisson has been one of preference over the years. The City stopper is unmatched in world football, possibly in the history of the game, when it comes to passing.
But Alisson, who is no slouch himself with the ball at his feet, excels in goalkeeping orthodoxy. This year however, the decision is more clear-cut than ever. Ederson has done nothing wrong but Alisson has been in sensational form.
The Liverpool keeper betters his countryman’s saves in the league this term, with 42 compared to Ederson’s 19. That figure is largely affected by the Reds’ comparatively leaky defence but Alisson’s league best save percentage of 78.7 per cent is vastly superior to Ederson’s 65.5 per cent, which sees him ranked 16th among goalkeepers in the division.
Alisson has been in inspired form for the Reds, producing saves that have covered up some of the side’s persistent defensive issues
Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
After looking like he could be on his way out of the Etihad last summer, Walker has had a new lease of life, enjoying some of his best football.
The 33-year-old remains one of the quickest players in the world but his experience has enabled him to become a better, more proactive defender.
When it comes to defending there’s not really a case to include Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is being revealed as the central midfielder he has always been with every passing week.
Walker has played every minute of City’s Premier League campaign so far this term, wearing the armband in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne. He is one of the players Pep Guardiola trusts the most and will need to be in top form to handle the threat of Luis Diaz on Saturday.
Walker has played every minute of City’s Premier League campaign so far this term, wearing the armband in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne
Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
The Portuguese defender’s brilliance goes unnoticed most of the time these days. He was recognised with the FWA Footballer of the Year Award in 2021 after his unbelievable debut campaign and he has not really dipped below that form since, with chatter about him reduced to no more than a whisper.
In the interest of balance, Dias was responsible for the last-minute penalty former City youngster Cole Palmer dispatched in their last game against Chelsea. He also did anchor a defence that uncharacteristically conceded four times in that tie.
Nevertheless, Dias remains one of the best centre-backs on the globe and can only be accused of suffering, like the rest of the team, from the absence of his partner John Stones. Together they formed the league’s joint-best defence last term.
The 26-year-old has featured in 10 of City’s 12 league games this season, keeping three clean sheets while boasting an impressive 92.6 pass completion.
Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
It would be hyperbolic to claim that Van Dijk is back to his best but that is a bigger statement on just how good his best form was.
Following his ACL injury, the Reds skipper looked like a poor imitation of his former self. A couple of years on, the 32-year-old has somewhat surprisingly reclaimed his position among the league’s best.
Energised by the captain’s armband, following the departures of Jordan Henderson and James Milner, Van Dijk has turned in stellar performances that have seen the Reds keep three clean sheets in their last four Premier League games.
He was also immense in their heroic 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in September. His only blemish this season came with his sending off against Newcastle in August that had many fearing his days as an elite defender were well and truly over.
Ruben Dias has continued to produce top performances for Manchester City this season
Virgil Van Dijk has reclaimed his position among the Premier League’s best centre-backs
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
In a fixture that is packed full of quality match-ups all over the pitch, the respective left-back complements are certainly the weakest. City fans are yet to see the best from their £78m summer signing Josko Gvardiol.
The 21-year-old turned in his worst performance in a sky blue shirt against Chelsea and was at fault for the home side’s second goal of the evening. The former RB Leipzig defender also didn’t cover himself in glory in City’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last month.
To be fair, though adept at full-back, he is most comfortable at the centre of defence and will develop into an elite performer in that position. But for now he is a vulnerability for City and might even lose his place against the Reds.
Why then is he included in the combined XI? Well that’s because Liverpool’s back-up left-back Kostas Tsimikas has been equally inconsistent since coming in for the stricken Andy Robertson, who was enjoying some of his best form in years.
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Josko Gvardiol is still settling into life at Manchester City but has shown some good signs
Rodri (Manchester City)
The Spanish midfielder has no equal in his position right now. Rodri has established himself as arguably the key piece in Pep Guardiola’s system, highlighted best by City’s wobble during his time on the sidelines due to suspension.
The 27-year-old has become an avatar for his manager on the pitch, knitting together passing moves and thwarting threatening attacks before they become dangerous.
He has even started contributing in an attacking sense and has chipped in with three goals and two assists from his 10 Premier League outings.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Liverpool have received a lot of plaudits for their successful midfield revamp this season but let’s be honest, it’s really just code for ‘wow, isn’t Szoboszlai amazing?’
Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and to a lesser extent Wataru Endo, have all performed well enough to merit praise but the Hungarian looks to have the makings of a truly special player.
The 23-year-old has played every minute of the Reds’ Premier League campaign, scoring once and providing two assists. But his contribution in all phases is perhaps most responsible for Jurgen Klopp’s side’s resurgence.
If he rocks up to the Etihad in the form he showed for Hungary against Montenegro during the international break the Reds will leave Manchester with all three points.
The Spanish midfielder Rodri has become indispensable in Pep Guardiola’s City system
Dominik Szoboszlai (centre) has been a revelation since moving to Anfield last summer
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
The 29-year-old was another City player who flirted with a move away last summer, threatening to follow the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez out the door. But there is a reason why the midfielder remains at the Etihad club despite near-constant rumours linking him to a transfer away.
Silva is one of the most vital tools in Guardiola’s arsenal. As the Spaniard’s philosophy has moved toward tactical flexibility, Silva’s value has only increased.
His skill and intelligence enable him to carry out any attacking role on the pitch as well as central defensive duties and even an inverted full back assignment. This term, Silva has six goals contributions in nine Premier League games.
He is yet to put in a bad performance, missing City’s shock loss to Wolves and being one of their better players in the defeat to Arsenal.
Bernardo Silva has six goals contributions in nine Premier League games including a brace in City’s last home game against Bournemouth
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Salah has failed to register a goal contribution in two games this season. Against Tottenham, when his assist for Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal was wrongly ruled out by VAR. And against Luton when Darwin Nunez squandered a practically unmissable chance from his header.
The Egyptian has looked refreshed and revitalised by the changes that has gone on behind him and he is enjoying a fruitful partnership with the chaotic Uruguayan.
His tally in the league currently stands at 10 goals and four assists from 12 games. In all competitions he has another two strikes in Europa League cameos. Salah is also coming off a four-goal salvo for the Pharaohs during the international break.
It’s unclear how many more of these fixtures he will play in as his Anfield contract winds down and interest from Saudi Arabia intensifies but his mark on these clashes has been indelible. And he is in the kind of form that could see him write another chapter in the saga.
Mohamed Salah’s 14 Premier League goal contributions is only bettered by Erling Haaland
Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)
The progress Darwin Nunez has shown this season will thrill Liverpool fans and agonise their rivals. The 24-year-old became a meme at times last term but has returned in this a step closer to the finished product.
However, it is only a step. Moments of brilliance have quickly followed instances that beg questions of his rational but even in this iteration, he is undroppable.
Nunez has scored four goals and recorded four assists from 11 games. Positive no doubt, but not in the same league as the two forwards he shares the frontline with in this team.
But when he features he is a magnet to dangerous attacking opportunities. He has played the equivalent of nearly five fewer Premier League matches than Haaland and Salah but has had only three fewer shots than his Reds teammate and 11 less than the Norwegian.
Nunez has missed 10 big chances compared to Haaland’s 13 and let’s not forget he doesn’t take penalties either. Jeremy Doku and Luis Diaz can count themselves unfortunate to miss out but Nunez is must-watch.
Nunez has forced his way into the Liverpool starting XI after starting the season on the bench
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Thirteen goals in 12 Premier League games and it still feels like he’s not at his absolute best. What would that even look like?
The 23-year-old’s participation in Saturday’s game is under some threat after he was forced to pull out of Norway’s Euro 2024 qualifier with Scotland, though you would expect the City medical team to work their magic and ensure he can play his part in the clash.
If he does, he’ll probably score. He has done it every 79 minutes in the Premier League this season. If he scores City will probably win, Guardiola’s side have lost the two games he has failed to find the net in.
Erling Haaland tops the Premier League goalscoring charts again this season with 13 goals
Mail Sport’s combined Manchester City-Liverpool XI ahead of the blockbuster clash
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