Arsenal – Man City combined XI: Haaland leads the line as four Gunners players make the cut

Arsenal host Manchester City on Wednesday night in a colossal Premier League match which should have huge implications on the title race.

Picking a combined XI of the two sides was tough, especially considering how difficult it is to determine what City’s strongest team is and how often Pep Guardiola chops and changes. Here it is nonetheless…

Goalkeeper: Ederson (Manchester City)
Aaron Ramsdale is having a superb season for Arsenal and has come on leaps and bounds since his Sheffield United days. Having said that, Ederson has been doing what Ramsdale is doing for several years, and at a higher level. This one is a no-brainer.

Right-back: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
The debate between Kyle Walker and Benjamin White is a good one. Walker is still ahead of White in the England pecking order and is having a solid season for City, though the latter has been excellent for Arsenal this term despite a slight dip in form in recent weeks.

While White has arguably been the best right-back in the Premier League this season along with Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier, there is no doubting Walker’s class and consistency. I reluctantly give the 32-year-old the nod.

Centre-back: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
City have five superb central defenders in Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake – who scored the only goal when these two sides met in the FA Cup last month. However, I believe Dias is the best of the lot, even if he is the random player whose name Pep Guardiola picked out of a hat and decided to drop for 2022-23.

Dias joined the Citizens from Benfica in 2020 and won the FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season in his debut campaign. The Portuguese defender has only played 14 times in the top flight this term and started his first league match since October on Sunday against Aston Villa.

Centre-back: Gabriel (Arsenal)
Going into this season I was adamant William Saliba is a better player than Gabriel and I was proven right pretty quickly. And pretty quickly after thinking I was right, I was proven wrong. The Brazilian has been a monster this season and is one of Mikel Arteta’s biggest success stories at Arsenal.

Left-back: Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal)
It feels a bit strange including Oleksandr Zinchenko in this side given City sold him to Arsenal due to a lack of playing time. Joao Cancelo’s January exit to Bayern Munich made this a pretty simple one, however. Ake has filled in at left-back very well, while someone else did against Villa. Nobody is really sure who though.

Defensive midfield: Rodri (Manchester City)
I am looking forward to the angry Arsenal fans attacking me for not including Thomas Partey. Sorry, but if one man is going to get in a combined XI ahead of the Ghanaian, it is going to be Rodri.

The Spaniard is the best in the business when it comes to playing in the No. 6 role. He has a better eye for goal than Partey and is simply the superior player, which takes nothing away from the Gunners midfielder, who is also fantastic.

Centre midfield: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Martin Odegaard over Bernardo Silva is bound to cause a bit of a stir, isn’t it? The latter is another Citizen who has been superb for several years, but Odegaard’s form this term has been nothing short of mesmerising, while Silva has debatably not looked himself.

Named Arsenal captain last summer, Odegaard has taken this team by the scruff of the neck and is spearheading an unlikely title charge. I gave City fans Rodri, so allow Odegaard over Silva, please.

Centre midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
This is simply not up for debate. It would be between Kevin De Bruyne and Granit Xhaka here. As is the case with many absentees, Xhaka has been brilliant under Arteta but does not hold a candle to the Belgian playmaker.

Right wing: Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City)
Riyad Mahrez is a player I have been incredibly fond of ever since that title-winning season with Leicester City. I actually had him in my fantasy team before a ball was kicked that season, so I was ahead of the curve, just so you know.

Mahrez’s close control, first touch, finishing and ability to make a mockery of defenders is simply incredible. Similarly to Arjen Robben, you know what to expect from Mahrez, but you still cannot stop it.

Striker: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
I like Eddie Nketiah a lot, but come on now. Gabriel Jesus is out injured and will be a huge miss against his former side. Saying that, he doesn’t stand a chance of getting in ahead of Erling Haaland. No one does.

Left wing: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
In his second-best position, Bukayo Saka makes my team. He couldn’t miss out. Not in a million years.

Mahrez and Saka are the two best wingers on offer here, ahead of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Phil Foden and even the versatile Silva. Playing Mahrez anywhere other than on the right would be utterly pointless, hence why Saka is my left winger.

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