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Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-0 in the reverse fixture at the Emirates earlier this seasonTwo of the Premier League’s biggest clubs go head-to-head on Sunday as Arsenal travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. The two teams have had a famous rivalry in the past when Arsene Wenger arrived in England during Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign and threatened the monopoly the Red Devils held in the league.Over the years, the rivalry has mellowed down a bit with the Gunners operating under financial constraints and United taking a back seat in the title race following the departure of the legendary Scot manager. But fans always look forward to this game with anticipation and tickets are hard to come by.Ahead of the game, we wanted to see which players from both sides would make it to a combined XI. Since a number of players are injured, we decided to break the tradition of picking players based on only form and availability and decided to choose the best performers of the season. Formation: 4-2-3-1
#1 Goalkeeper
When Petr Cech moved from Chelsea to Arsenal before the season, he was the Gunners’ only signing last summer. They were the only club in Europe’s top five leagues to not sign an outfield player. His former teammate John Terry predicted he would save ‘12 to 15 points’ for the north London club.
It is safe to say that the Czech international has saved much more than that – be it the Premier League or the Champions League group stages. In the league alone, he has made a total of 85 saves in 26 games this season – the second highest after Stoke City’s Jack Butland (89).
David De Gea may not have the same numbers as Cech after not starting his first game till September due to Real Madrid’s failure to sign him, but was still instrumental earlier in the season when United reached the Premier League’s summit. An ever-changing defence has let him down on many occasions though and Cech has kept 12 clean sheets to De Gea’s nine.
Both goalkeepers are world class. So it is just their numbers this season that sees Cech selected in this XI.
#2 Defence
In the right-back slot, Hector Bellerin gets the nod over Matteo Darmian. The young Spaniard made the starting XI spot his own last season and has continued to flourish under Wenger this season. So much so that he is one of the most used U21 players in Europe this season playing in more than 92% of the total minutes in the league this season. Bellerin also has better numbers in interceptions, blocks and pass completion, and he is yet to make a defensive error in the league.
The centre-back pairing sees Chris Smalling and Laurent Koscielny. Smalling has been one of United’s most consistent performers in an inconsistent season, a rock at the back who is solid as a rock both on the ground and in the air. He has been partnered with Rojo, Jones and even Blind on a few occasions and has never been the weak link in the back four.
Koscielny’s presence in the back four has seen Arsenal play better with him than without. His pace and anticipation has seen him become one of the best interceptors in the league, averaging 3.7 per game – the best for any defender. Getting past the Frenchman is an arduous task for many a striker and his goal threat in set pieces (3 goals this season) makes him a valuable addition to the squad.
The left-back slot would have been an interesting battle had Luke Shaw not broken his leg early in the season. The English defender seemed to be back to his best and justified his signing before his dreams were shattered in Eindhoven. But Nacho Monreal has been equally impressive and has been one of the most underrated defenders in the league.
Monreal’s cautious but effective attacking runs also provides Arsenal with an extra man in attack to stretch the defence and his crosses are more often than not a potent threat down the left flank.
#3 Midfield
Selecting players in the base of midfield was the toughest decision to make for this XI. Almost every first-team regular from both clubs has been injured for long periods at some point this season. So the likes of Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla have been ruled out.
So the midfield pivot sees Aaron Ramsey and Michael Carrick. Ramsey has been deployed both on the right and in the middle depending on the availability of Cazorla and Coquelin.
Although the Welshman has failed to curb his attacking instincts now and then when deployed centrally, he does provide a link between defence and attack and carries the ball forward without losing possession. He is yet to reach the heights of the 2013/14 season but his industry in midfield is seen as one of the key factors to the Gunners making the best use of the ball when in possession.
Carrick, on the other hand, has performed better than Morgan Schneiderlin and Marouane Fellaini. Schneiderlin is yet to impress in his role like he did when he was at Southampton while Fellaini has no clear role under Van Gaal. United have also looked lost without Carrick in midfield to keep the ball ticking and moving it forward to the attack.
There is only one player to choose from for the no.10 role though. Mesut Ozil is having one of his finest seasons of his career and has registered 17 assists so far. With three months to go, he is well on course to break Thierry Henry’s record for 20 in a single EPL season.
The German midfielder has also managed to find the back of the net more often this season and the team is built around him as he gets the licence to roam. While termed lazy at times by many ‘pundits’, he covers more distance than most players on the pitch and even presses the opposition when the Gunners lose the ball.
#4 Attack
In attack, the left wing slot was a straight-up battle between Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez. Martial became the most expensive teenager in football history after his move last summer and gave the United faithful a reason to cheer when their attack floundered this season, especially with Wayne Rooney misfiring in 2015.
Alexis, on the other hand, shrugged off his Copa America hangover and picked up the pace in September with a hat-trick against high-flying Leicester City. He followed that up with a brace against United at the Emirates. The injury that kept him out for close to two months has seen him suffer while Martial has now been sidelined with an injury after being used too much by Van Gaal due to a lack of strikers.
So who do we pick? We let the numbers decide and Alexis Sanchez comes out on top (Note: Martial’s League Cup minutes not available).
| Stats in all competitions | Goals | Assists | Mins per Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Martial | 10 | 3 | 201 |
| Alexis Sanchez | 9 | 5 | 138 |
On the right, Jesse Lingard has impressed for United in his first full season. Four goals in the league have seen him become the toast of the Stretford End. His work-rate, especially in defence, has also been lauded by the fans and while he has caught everyone’s eye with his passing and finishing.
Theo Walcott was also in the running but the English forward has failed to impress this season with injuries restricting his minutes. He is nowhere close to the form he showcased in the 2012/13 season when he top-scored for Arsenal with 21 goals.
Olivier Giroud is also another automatic selection in this lineup. He has managed to maintain his fitness levels this season and featured regularly in the lineup. 12 goals in the league sees him only in 7th place in the list of top goal scorers, but he also has five in the Champions League. In contrast, no United forward has touched double digits in the league yet.
Substitutes: David De Gea, Matteo Darmian, Per Mertesacker, Morgan Schneiderlin, Santi Cazorla, Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney
