Arsenal v Manchester United: Combined XI

Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette
Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette

Manchester United travel to London, to play Arsenal on Friday night in the 4th round of FA Cup. The clash that will definitely be the biggest tie of this round could prove to be very important for both teams. As neither have done particularly well in League Cup and will not be winning Premier League, an FA Cup trophy could things much better.

Sure, it is still a long road before Wembley matches commence, but knocking out a big rival could be great boost, not just for the cup run, but for the season in general. That is why we decided to try and create a combined XI from these two teams. All players are eligible and they will be judged on their performances this season. Some places were harder to decide upon, but all in all, Man United just about edged Arsenal.

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

Whenever we do these combined XIs, this is the part we love the most – it is a simple no brainer. There never is a need to think about it twice – it is a single position for the single best Premier League goalkeeper. That is why David De Gea is always the chosen one. He is far better than Bernd Leno, while Peter Cech is long past his best days. Also, he is retiring this year. De Gea’s performances have been superb over many years, as well.

Defence: Bellerin, Lindelöf, Sokratis, Shaw

This was probably the toughest, as defence is by far the weakest link for both clubs. Bellerin got his place based on the form he was entering just before he tore his ACL last time out, while Sokratis edged it over Phil Jones. Shaw’s progress did stagnate a bit after a really good start, but overall, he is better than Kolasinac, who is much better in a wing-back role we did not want to employ. Also, Lindelöf is self-explanatory, as he is the only certain centre-back in this team.

Midfield: Torreira, Matic, Pogba

This would be something similar to what United are doing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Two sitting midfielders and Paul Pogba ahead of them. Lucas Torreira got this place ahead of Herrera because they are similar players, though Torreira offers more technicality and precision alongside his Pitbull-like energy. Matic is a calming factor among these three, while we already know what Pogba can bring. His roaming, passing and creativity are resurfacing in the past month and he would be a perfect fit for this team.

Attack: Rashford, Aubameyang, Lacazette

Based on everything we have seen so far, Arsenal had to have two players here. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have both had really good campaigns and Marcus Rashford thoroughly deserved his place. The Arsenal duo are a great combination, with one playing up front and the other on the left. That would mean Rashford would be on the right, which is not ideal, but all three have proved they could be quite dangerous when constantly interchanging positions with their teammates.

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