Whenever you mention football, the first two clubs that you will find most talked about will be Manchester United and Manchester City. Combined 28 English Top Division trophies, 18 FA Cup, 13 EFL Trophies, 27 Community Shield, 2 Cup Winner's Cup, and 3 UCL & 1 Europa League (That's only Manchester United, alone). But in the last decade or so, since the legendary Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson, and the appointment of Spanish legend Pep Guardiola, the tables have turned. What was once an absolute dominance of English football by the Red side of Manchester, has shifted to the Blue side of the park assisted by Emirati family & their money. During the days of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, United did see some hope but failed, they are searching for their first trophy in the post-Ferguson era. Last trophy that Manchester United, not counting the Bangkok Era Century Cup was UEFA Europa League under the Special One, Jose Mourinho in the 2016/17 season.
Anyhow, this season since the appointment of Erik Ten Haag, his new signings, Manchester United has been on 4 matches winning streak in English Premier League so far from 6 matches, winning against 2 of the Top 6, Liverpool and Arsenal. While in Europe they have one and lost one. Currently, they sit in the 5th position in the table with 12 points. What they now need to do is concentrate on shortcomings and hope that they don't face any major injury issues to their main group of players.
While Manchester City, sits 2nd on the table with 5 wins and 2 draws from 7 matches, which on paper are undefeated alongside Tottenham Hotspur. While UCL as well they have been undefeated in 2 matches against Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund. Manchester United will be the first Top 6 team, the Citizens will face. They are quite comfortable around the park with just one issue, injuries to their backline, if that is sorted out through luck or in the January transfer window, they can assure another EPL.
This is our combined XI of Manchester United and Manchester City based on the performances of the players of this season alone. While Erik Ten Haag would go with 4-2-3-1 and Pep Guardiola would go with 4-3-3, we will go with Pep's choice as well for a better balance to the team.
Goalkeeper
Our Pick: Ederson Moraes
Ederson since he arrived from Benfica in 2017, has been one of the best goalkeepers in the English Premier League since his arrival. This season so far, in 10 matches that he has played, he has kept 5 Clean Sheets and conceded 9 goals avg. 0.86 goals were conceded per 90 minutes. Last season in 50 matches he played he kept 26 Clean Sheets and conceded 35 goals avg. 0.65 goals per 90 minutes.
While Manchester United's David de Gea is a legend and has been one of the best players in his own right, his performances for the last couple of seasons have been terrible. In the 8 Games he has played so far he has kept on 2 clean sheets with 9 goals conceded including a 4-0 loss to Brentford at the start of the season. David de Gea concedes an average of 1.33 goals for every 90 minutes that the player is on the pitch. Their Clean Sheets ratio is currently at 33%. Last season in 50 matches he played, he conceded 64 goals keeping only 11 Clean Sheets. He conceded avg. 1.39 goals per 90 minutes.
David de Gea has only 62% passing accuracy when compared to Ederson's 84.8% and Alisson's 83.7%. For our first pick, it goes to Manchester City's ball-playing goalkeeper Ederson over the veteran United legend and shot-stopper David de Gea.
Defenders
Right Back: Diogo Dalot
A duel between a veteran against a youngster against each other for our squad, and, we will go with Manchester United's Diogo Dalot. He has shown a lot of promise in both attack and defense taking away the worries of signing another right back after the failure of a season by Aaron Wan Bissaka. With players like Denzel Dumfries, Sergino Dest, Kim Min-Jae, Thomas Munier, and many more, with the performances of Diogo Dalot so far this season, it seems all they need now is a backup.
Diogo Dalot on other hand has played 9 matches, 1 for the nation and 8 for the club scoring 2 goals for Portugal in the UEFA League of Nations while having 2 assists, 1 in EPL, and 1 in Europa League. As a playmaker in EPL, 256 passes with 73.05% pass completion with 11 passes forward, 408 touches, and 11 crosses getting disposed of only twice. Defensively, he has kept 2 clean sheets with 8 goals conceded, making 2 blocks, 9 interceptions, 14 tackles, 15 clearances, 9 headed clearances, and 12 aerial battles won. While Diogo Dalot has been criticized for his defensive role, he has surely put up his numbers this season so far most impressively keeping Luis Diaz in his control.
While Kyle Walker hasn't been faulty of late, just he seems like a shadow of his former self. Could be his age or maybe he is on a decline. In 6 games he has played so far, he has 0 goals or assists, 1 shot that to off target, while as far as team play goes he has better stats than Dalot, with 948 passes with 91.07% pass completion, 151 passes forwards, 610 touches, but is behind in crosses which were once his key metrics. While he isn't the worst of consideration and will go down as one of the best full-backs of the modern generation, his downfall is prominent. Especially in defense where Dalot overtakes him in almost every metric. Walker made 4 interceptions, 0 blocks, 1 successful tackle, 5 clearances, 4 headed clearances, and 7 aerial battles won.
Been it any other season, Kyle Walker would've first choice even over Joao Cancelo, but for this season, both Portuguese makes the list, but our veteran Englishmen won't.
Centre Back: Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez
If it was a season before, I would have 200% chosen the pair of Ruben Dias and John Stones, but with John Stones injured while Aymeric Laporte not much of success, but he is injured as well. The next best option which can be paired with Ruben Dias is Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké. While Nathan Aké has been quite down low in the pecking order for Pep, Manuel Akanji could be the one starting tomorrow. Is it a bit controversial? Lisandro Martinez over Ruben Dias? Well, yes. As we mentioned. based on the current season, he will be it.
This season so far he has played 6 appearances in EPL and 2 in UEFA Europa League. In EPL, if we talk about the numbers, 2 clean sheets and 8 goals conceded, making 6 blocks, 8 interceptions, 6 tackles, 28 clearances, 11 headed clearances, and 5 aerial battles won. When compared with Ruben Dias, the only place where Ruben Dias trumps our "Argentine Butcher" is Aerial Battles won with 24. Raphaël Varane's stats, if we talk about them, in 5 matches he played so far, and since then he has only conceded 2 goals. Which helped Manchester United keep their undefeated track record since. Why we kept him with Lisandro Martinez because the only place where he lacks, such as Aerial Battles Won and Headed Clearances, he has helped and supported him quite well. While not to forget, Lisandro Martinez's performance for Ajax against Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland who will now face Manchester City's color. If he can do that once again, the argument about his height and doubt about him as a player would be as good as dead.
We would pick our first two Manchester United players for our combined XI.
Left Back: Joao Cancelo
While he might have been a natural right back, that's the point, he is so versatile, it is impossible to tell his natural positioning. Here and most possibly tomorrow on Pep Guardiola's side, he will be playing as a Left Back, and his Red Side of competition will be Tyrell Malacia.
Joao Cancelo has played 15 matches this season, 10 games for the club and 5 for the nation. He has scored 1 goal, which isn't a big number, he has taken 8 shots with 1 on target and 2 off target of which 1 goal was converted. But as a playmaker in EPL, 588 passes with 87.81% pass completion with 163 passes forward, 708 touches, 20 crosses, and disposed of only 5 times. Defensively, he has 3 clean sheets conceding 6 goals, making 1 block, 8 interceptions, 13 tackles, and 1 clearance, and winning 19 aerial battles.
On the other hand, Tyrell Malacia benched English Left Back & Manchester United regular, Luke Shaw while convincing Erik Ten Haag for his move from Feyenoord aged just 19 years old and sanction the loan move for Brazil's starter Alex Telles. In 6 matches so far this season of which 2 were from off the bench, he manages the same 2 clean sheets and 2 goals conceded record with 2 tackles, 7 interceptions, 13 tackles, 9 clearances, 1 headed clearance, and 4 aerial battles won. While going forward, he has made 151 passes with 82.78%, 51 passes forward, 257 touches, and 5 crosses.
Midfielders
Defensive Midfielder: Rodri
As a Manchester United fan, I never thought there would be a day where I would have to compare Scott McTominay with Rodri or even consider that as an option. With the names of Fred, Casemiro, and Kalvin Phillips, we are here picking between these two names. While we have gone with the blue side once again for our first pick in midfield, all the names we listed had their issues of which one has been common, which is game time. Neither of 3 have made nearly as many appearances this season with Casemiro and Kalvin Phillips being the new transfers.
In 7 Matches Rodri has played he already has 2 assists from his deep-lying position, he is also taking 11 shots with 2 on target and 6 off target, while in team play, he has 647 passes with 92.43% pass completion. 123 passes forward, 711 touches and while defending 3 blocks, 7 interceptions. 6 tackles with 4 successful tackles, 8 clearances, 4 headed clearances, and 23 aerial battles won.
While Scott McTominay is nowhere near, he isn't as bad as in previous seasons. In 6 matches Scott played, he has taken 3 shots with 1 on and off the target, 176 passes with 82.49% pass completion, 54 passes forward, 272 touches, 1 through pass, 1 cross, and disposed of 7 times. While in defense he is slightly better than Rodri in a couple of metrics with 1 block, 8 interceptions, 10 tackles with 9 successful tackles, 18 clearances, 14 headed clearances, and 12 aerial battles won.
While Scott McTominay isn't like a comparing Eric Djemba-Djemba with Paul Scholes, he needs to get more consistency and if continues like that, maybe in the second leg of Manchester Derby, we can count him over Rodri.
Right Centre Midfielder: Kevin de Bryune
Do I even need to tell you why for this season? In the 7 games KDB has played so far, he has 1 goal and 6 assists when compared to Bruno Fernandes who had quite a season from his level with just 1 assist and 1 goal from 6 games. KDB has taken 19 shots to Bruno's 11 while having the same number on target with 5 with the off target being KDB's 7 to Bruno's 3.
When talking about team play or playmaker, KDB has created 8 big chances to Bruno's 3, KDB has 381 passes with 80.69% pass completion to Bruno's 281 with 75.80% pass completion, KDB has 92 passes forward to Bruno's 96, KDB's touches being 450 to Bruno's 387, KDB's 7 through ball and Bruno's 6 and KDB's 52 crosses with Bruno's 17.
It might be clear where we are going. I wouldn't prefer using the word but Kevin de Bryune has been clear of Bruno Fernandes this season so far. If he repeats what he did in his first 1.5 seasons, we can have another debate.
Left Centre Midfielder: Christian Eriksen
One of the stand-out players, and one of the best players this season have absolutely without a question been Christian Eriksen. Since his move to Old Trafford, we are seeing the Danish magic again we all missed. If not for him, and his form... it would've been a juggle between either Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan. But, for today, for this season, and this blog, we have Danish Superman, Christian Eriksen.
In 6 games so far, he hasn't scored many goals or made many assists, rather just 1 assist he has dictated the game from his position in midfield making sure everyone around him looks, world-class. A big reason why Scott McTominay works when he didn't in the cursed "McFred" role was that Fred wasn't defensive enough nor able to create & play from the back forcing Scott McTominay to cover him while Harry Maguire made many mistakes which made him work even more resulting him not doing what he is good at. Christian Eriksen and the new defensive duo changed that, now Varane and Martinez defend, McTominay covers and pass to Eriksen and he does his magic. He has taken 11 shots including the beautiful free kicks which didn't convert, he has 298 passes with 79.19% pass completion, 110 passes forward, 384 touches, 2 through ball, and 23 crosses. Even in defense, his contribution has been noticeable 3 blocks, 2 interceptions, 2 tackles, 6 clearances, 2 headed clearance, and 3 aerial battles won.
If it continues, he might win PFA & Manchester United POTY this season.
Forward
Right Winger: Phil Foden
Until the arrival of Antony, Jadon Sancho was the primary right winger for the squad with Marcus Rashford playing through the middle and Anthony Elanga on the left side, that's how they fielded in the 2-1 win over Liverpool, and that was the left game he played on the right side with him being fielded at left wing with Marcus Rashford continuing to play through the middle. Given these numbers, Phil Foden gets a direct inclusion. Now, it is not some charity case or some loophole, he is included because he deserves his spot. More than anything, even Phil Foden doesn't hold a fixed position in the team. Last season, he was juggling around on the right side competing with Riyad Mahrez while on the left side with Raheem Sterling & Jack Grealish. He started playing as a no. 10 at even for Pep Guardiola. Under Gareth Southgate, he plays as an RW with Raheem Sterling on LW for England. This season he has played 10 games for the club across League & UCL and 3 games for the national side. Of those 13 games, 4 were on RW, 5 times as a Left Winger, 1 as a Left Midfielder, 1 as a Centre Midfield, and 1 as an Attacking Midfield. But for our squad, he starts over on the Right Wing given both the competition and choices for the Left Side of the pitch.
In 7 games he has played in EPL, he has 2 goals and 2 assists, 10 shots on goal, and 5 shots on target with 62.50% shooting accuracy. He has 294 passes with 88.10% pass completion, 48 passes forward, 407 touches, 1 through ball, and 25 crosses. While not expected much defensively, he still puts on some decent numbers with 2 interceptions, 8 tackles, and 3 aerial battles won. While many still doubt his caliber as a player, he is surely and will be the most important young player for both club and country in the coming decade and quite well a contended of Ballon D'Or some day in his career.
Left Winger: Marcus Rashford
On the left side, we have quite some competition, and even without counting Phil Foden, you have Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga from the red side of the Manchester, and Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, Cole Palmer, and Bernardo Silva. Now, most of them are versatile players who can play a variety of positions depending upon the requirement, Silva can play in midfield, Marcus Rashford up front, and others around up front. But we will go with Marcus Rashford who has found his lost performance, even thou injured, not out of the team. As he won't be getting in at striker position because of a robot, anyway.
In 6 games Marcus Rashford has played so far, he has 3 goals and 2 assists, currently the highest goal scorer for the side and highest G/A as well. He has taken 15 shots so far, 4 were on and 4 were off target, while in team play, 127 passes with 73.23% pass completion, 29 passes forward, 217 touches, 1 through ball, and 7 crosses. While he has been effective in going backward and defending, he has 1 interception, 6 tackles, 1 clearance, and 7 aerial battles won.
3 seasons before his last season were 2018/19 with 16 g/a, 2019/20 season with 24 g/a, and 2020/21 season with 18 g/a which given his age, they were elite numbers, but after the 2020 Euro penalty miss debacle and long term injury, his comeback last season was far from elite. In 25 games he only managed 5 goals and 4 assists in EPL, and just 1 goal in UEFA Champions League. Especially considering his penalty against Gianluigi Buffon during the UCL Round of 16, his comparison went from being with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicus Jr. to him almost getting sold to PSG until early this season. Even with all that, he is just 25 years old, and we feel, under Erik Ten Haag, he can achieve his full potential and be the future of Manchester United.
Centre Forward: Erling Haaland
The man is a robot who scores the goal for fun. He is engineered to score, standing 6'5" and weighing 88 KGs, it is like describing a wrestler but he is a 22-year-old second-generation Norwegian striker. He is as pure of a no.9 as you can expect, almost like Alfie created him inside a lab. In just 10 games, he has 14 goals already and an assist. 11 Goals in 7 Games in League including 2 hattricks against Nottingham Forest & Crystal Palace. He already has 104 goals in 145 league games, 149 games in 193 career games, and 21 goals in 23 games for the nation.
A prolific goalscorer, Haaland has all the attributes of a complete center-forward. He uses his sizeable frame to hold play up effectively and involve others. He has the pace and clever movement to run in behind; he can dribble and create, and he can finish with both his feet and his head. He usually comes deep to collect the ball to help his team build play, often looking to spread the ball wide for a teammate, before turning and sprinting towards goal. He sometimes comes too deep for the defenders to follow him, as such he has the awareness to turn on the ball and create from a forward-facing position. In the penalty area, he makes small, sharp movements to spot an opportunity for a teammate to attempt to find him in space, and can change the line on which he is running and accelerate into that space, making him extremely difficult for defenders to read.
He doesn't have competition from the World's Best Goal Scorer Cristiano Ronaldo this season at least, and if he goes on like this, he will overtake him pretty soon.
Here's our final line-up:
We don't know what will happen tomorrow, but what do know is that it will be a goal riot tomorrow.
Match Update:
For Man City: Rodri was injured Ilkay Gundogan started wearing the captain's armband, Nathan Ake with Manuel Akanji in goal, with Kyle Walker being injured in the first half, Sergio Gomez replaced him. Kevin De Bryune, Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish were replaced by Cole Palmer, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, and Julian Alvarez.
For Manchester United: Erik Ten Haag started his favorite XI with Anthony Martial on the bench, after coming back from injury. Raphael Varane's injury forced an early substitution of Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw substituted in at the half time for Tyrell Malacia. Casemiro, Anthony Martial, and Fred substituted for Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Scott McTominay
Final Score: 6-3
At Half -Time, Man City leads Man Utd 4-0 with a brace from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland.
At Full-Time, Man City defeated Man Utd 6-3 with 1 goal each from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, while Antony scored in 56th Minute before a brace from Anthony Martial after coming as a substitute.
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