Chelsea vs. Manchester United: Combined XI | Premier League 2020-21

Central Defense: Thiago Silva (Chelsea) and Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

Thiago Silva has strengthened Chelsea's backline considerably.

Choosing two central defenders for this side is quite tricky, as neither Chelsea nor Manchester United have completely reliable center-backs right now.

However, of the available players, the first pick is Chelsea’s Thiago Silva. The Brazilian – who arrived on a free transfer in the summer – is 36 years old now, and it’s hard to dispute that he’s past his prime.

However, Silva still has an excellent mind for the game. And although his athleticism has waned, it hasn’t stopped him from being the Blues’ best defender this season.

After a dreadful start against West Brom, his performances have been fantastic, with a tremendous 93.2% pass success rate supplementing his excellent defensive skills.

Alongside Silva, we’ve gone for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire.

The world’s most expensive defender has come under plenty of criticism this season and has undoubtedly had a handful of truly dire games.

However, at his best, Maguire is still commanding in the air and has excellent skills on the ball. Maguire scores highly in defensive areas like clearances, interceptions, and tackles.

The England international also offers a set-piece threat and has scored two goals this season.

This partnership would indeed lack some pace, but then aside from the shakier Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly, none of United or Chelsea’s defenders are all that quick.

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Left-Back: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

Ben Chilwell just about edges Luke Shaw out to get into this team.

This was another close spot to call, largely due to the resurgence in the form of Manchester United’s Luke Shaw.

The former Southampton man has enjoyed his best season in some time, earning rave reviews for his performances against Liverpool and Manchester City. His total of five assists is a career-high for him, in fact.

However, his England rival Ben Chilwell edges him out, just about.

Chilwell – who signed for Chelsea for around £45m in the summer – enjoyed an excellent start to his career with the Blues.

He scored two goals and registered four assists in the early part of the season and was arguably Chelsea’s best player under Frank Lampard.

Since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, the England man has seen his playing time trimmed, largely due to the German’s use of wing-back Marcos Alonso.

However, Chilwell still outscores Shaw in key defensive areas such as tackles, interceptions, and clearances per game. Offensively, the stats are basically a wash.

Therefore, it’s the Chelsea man who gets the nod here.