Featured Image Credit: FootyRenders & Alamy
Topics: Arsenal, Manchester City, Erling Haaland
Josh Lawless
Topics: Arsenal, Manchester City, Erling Haaland
Manchester City and Arsenal meet for the third time this season in a huge game which could well decide the destiny of the Premier League title.
Arsenal lead the way after a stunning season under Mikel Arteta but three consecutive draws, combined with an incredible winning run from City, means we still have an exciting title race on our hands.
City beat Arsenal in the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium in January, before coming away with a 3-1 win at the Emirates the following month.
They've been the two best sides by far but if one was to create a combined XI made up of the top two, what would it look like?
SPORTbible had a stab at putting one together ahead of the crunch clash.
Aaron Ramsdale has developed into an elite goalkeeper and produced a slew of incredible saves to ensure Arsenal left Anfield with a point against Liverpool.
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But Ederson is still superior to him in all departments and his distribution continues to be a fundamental aspect of City's excellent build-up play.
Ben White has been a revelation ever since he signed for Arsenal and should be in the PFA Team of the Year. He's such a vital cog in the Arsenal machine and transitioned into the perfect right-back for Arsenal's way of playing.
England's best centre-back by far. An absolute shoo-in for this team, you get a jist of whether someone actually knows about football or not depending on whether they rate Stones. Immense in the air and on the ball, he's excelled in this new hybrid role under Pep Guardiola.
The fact that William Saliba had never played for Arsenal or in the Premier League until the first game of the current campaign is simply mental.
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The 22-year-old has been a breath of fresh air and looks like a Rolls Royce of a central defender. Him potentially not playing again this season is a monumental blow for the Gunners.
Former City man Oleksandr Zinchenko has been brilliant for Arsenal but Nathan Ake has to get the nod. He took time to bed in at City but has been one of the team's most reliable players this season.
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Superb in possession but so aggressive against the best attackers, he completely nullified Bukayo Saka last time out, before scoring the winner.
Thomas Partey has been a top performer for Arsenal but Rodri, yet another former Atletico Madrid anchorman, is performing on a different level right now. He is the complete defensive midfielder and is probably City's most important player. There's a reason Kalvin Phillips can't get a look and it's because of a big, consistent Spaniard.
Quite possibly the first name on the teamsheet. The best midfielder in the Premier League and the world on the whole. He recently reached 100 assists in the top flight and made it 15 assists this term. The Belgian always turns up in the big moments and will go down as one of the best to ever do it on these shores.
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Martin Odegaard has developed into Arsenal's answer to De Bruyne and the Gunners captain is now operating a world-class level after it looked like he might just be heading towards becoming one of those Football Manager wonderkids everyone forgets about.
He has 12 goals and seven assists in the Premier League and should be in the PFA Team of the Year.
Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden were potential contenders but Bukayo Saka had to be the pick on the right flank. A genuine world-class talent, the 21-year-old has an impressive 25 goal involvements in the Premier League this season and it would be a shock if he did not win the PFA Young Player of the Year prize.
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Jack Grealish didn't hit the ground running after his £100 million move from Aston Villa last season and took time to adapt to a new environment and way of playing.
But we are now seeing the very best of him in a City shirt, influencing the biggest games on a regular basis. Although the stats don't always tell the story, he's in his best run of form since becoming a City player and edges out Gabriel Martinelli, who has scored 15 times this season.
The fact that some people were deeming Erling Haaland to be a problem at City is absolutely ludicrous. The big Norwegian has smashed in an incredible 48 goals in all competitions, including 32 in 28 matches in league.
He is three away from setting a new record for most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign and has made it look very, very easy.
What would your combined XI be? Sound off in the comments.