There’s a lot on the line when it comes to the Manchester Derby on Thursday.
Just one point separates the rivals when they meet at Etihad Stadium on Thursday night. With a top four spot on the line, this is possibly the biggest game of the season for either side.
Liverpool will also be keeping a close eye on the match after a loss to Crystal Palace at the weekend has drawn them back into the uncomfortable fight for a coveted Champions League spot.
Low and behold, this is our combined XI, a team that Garth Crooks would be proud of – with the midfield, in particular, being very attack-minded.
David De Gea: Joe Hart was closer to getting included than Claudio Bravo.
Antonio Valencia: A dead cert. Fast, strong and skilful going forward and really not all that shabby defensively.
Eric Bailly: Moving for £32.3m, Bailly has been one of Jose Mourinho’s successful buys. Despite being injured for a large chunk of the season he has been pivotal in a defence that has only conceded 24 goals in the league.
Vincent Kompany: There weren’t too many other contenders here, to be honest, had Marcos Rojo not suffered his horrific injury he’d be in there but Kompany’s reputation and past performances get him over the line.
Gael Clichy: United don’t have a left-back, one week it is Matteo Darmian, the next it is Luke Shaw and sometimes even Daley Blind. Gael Clichy hasn’t been terrific by any means this season but being a regular feature for City gets him on the team sheet.
Ander Herrera: The true star of the Manchester United team this year, oozes class and he also released this adorable video about how happy he is to play for the club. Good player and an even better guy.
Kevin De Bruyne: The Belgian has been top of the Premier League assist table for virtually the entire season and oozes class. Many Irish fans still get nightmares about his ungodly performance against the Boys in Green at Euro 2016.
David Silva: Another player that is sheer class is this tricky Spaniard, just the seven assists to his name as well as a couple of goals. No team rests easy when David Silva is on the ball.
Marcus Rashford: It may be a brief run of form but it is a run of form nonetheless. Rashford was phenomenal against Chelsea when his goal helped his side beat the table toppers 2-0 and was equally as impressive against Anderlecht in the Europa league.
Sergio Aguero: There would be no doubt that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be on this team had he not suffered a similar fate as Marcos Rojo, injuring himself against Anderlecht. Aguero has long been considered the best striker in the Premier League and even in what can be considered on off season for the Argentine he has netted 17 goals for Manchester City.
Leroy Sane Not much was known about this 21-year-old German when he joined from Schalke in the summer but even in a season that can be considered a failure by Manchester City’s standards one of their successes was the performances from Leroy Sane. The £37m man was sensational against Southampton a couple of weeks ago and has been a constant threat for City all season.
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