Manchester United v Liverpool Combined XI: Should Salah, Pogba, Rashford And De Gea Make The Cut?

Manchester United v Liverpool Combined XI: Should Salah, Pogba, Rashford And De Gea Make The Cut?
07:27, 22 Feb 2019

This one is huge. Manchester United v Liverpool. The Red Devils are bidding for a win that can bolster their hopes of a top-four finish and simultaneously help damage their old rival's Premier League title ambitions on Sunday afternoon.

Title-chasing Liverpool have only won one of their twelve visits to Old Trafford since 2009 but, on paper at least, they appear to have the stronger team going into this weekend's clash. 

We pick our combined XI - let us know what you think and who would have made your team...

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
David de Gea is a fine goalkeeper in his own right but Liverpool's Alisson is the modern keeper and he has been superior this season. The Brazilian shot-stopper has only conceded 15 goals in 26 league games, keeping 14 clean sheets, as he has thrived behind a rock-solid defence.

Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
This is where it gets a bit ugly for Manchester United fans as the Liverpool defence has been superior to United's in every possible way. 

Centre-Back: Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Joe Gomez's superb season has been overshadowed by injury but we would rather have a half-fit Gomez in our team ahead of Chris Smalling or Phil Jones. Victor Lindelof has been much-improved for United but Gomez gets the nod when both are 100% based on this season's performances.

Centre-Back: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Arguably the best player in the Premier League this season. Enough said.

Left-Back: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Surely a shoo-in for any Premier League Team of the Season.

Midfielder: Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
The unsung hero of Liverpool's title push. 

Midfielder: Fabinho (Liverpool)
Versatile, positionally sound, languid in possession, Fabinho is a manager's dream and he has been hugely impressive for much of this season (despite what some members of the 'Twitterati' might say).

Midfielder: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Spent much of Jose Mourinho's tenure sulking but much-improved since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed interim manager. Paul Pogba is looking much more like a World Cup winner at the moment, scoring eight goals and laying on five assists in his last nine league appearances.

Forward: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
The England forward has been in sensational form under Solskjaer and he is yet another player who is thriving now released from the shackles of Mourinho. Scored nine goals and affected seven assists in 22 league outings, and he has been directly involved in a goal every 95 minutes which is superior to the efforts of Liverpool's Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

Firmino has been directly involved in a goal every 145 minutes in his 26 league games (nine goals and five assists), while Mane has scored 12 and laid on one assist in 24 appearances (goal or assist every 155 minutes on average).

Forward: Mo Salah (Liverpool)
The joint-top scorer in the Premier League, Mo Salah has notched 17 goals and has scored once every 130 minutes on average.

Forward: Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Anthony Martial has been in great form this season, scoring nine goals and affecting two assists in his 20 league outings. His goals and assists have come every 116 minutes on average.

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