A jaw-dropping combined XI of the two Premier League giants.As Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, CaughtOffside takes a look at the immense talent and depth of these two teams’ squads, in what will be an early-season contest between surely the two main contenders for the Premier League title this season.
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In a close-run contest, title favourites Chelsea edge City by six players to five in this combined lineup, though it was almost too close to call on occasion, with these two clubs creating a simply world class XI together.
GK: Joe Hart vs Thibaut Courtois
Two superb goalkeepers in an admittedly mixed run of form, Joe Hart put some poor recent displays behind him with a great solo display against Bayern Munich in midweek. Still, Thibaut Courtois has been excellent in recent times and will surely improve as the defence in front of him steadies, and looks the player with greater potential.
Vote: Courtois
DR: Pablo Zabaleta vs Branislav Ivanovic
Two of the finest right-backs in the Premier League, and with two great competitors not even making this list, with Bacary Sagna and Cesar Azpilicueta as very able backups. Regardless, it is hard to ignore what Ivanovic brings to this Chelsea team, and he just gets the nod here.
Vote: Ivanovic
DL: Aleksandar Kolarov vs Filipe Luis
Two fine left-backs, it has to be Manchester City’s Aleksandar Kolarov based on what we’ve seen so far, with Filipe Luis not yet establishing himself as a regular for Chelsea since his summer move from Atletico Madrid.
Vote: Kolarov
DC: Vincent Kompany vs John Terry
Two great defenders and two great leaders for their clubs, Vincent Kompany and John Terry are hard to pick apart here. Still, with City skipper Kompany closer to his peak at the moment, he just gets the nod over the in-form Terry, who may still be the slightly better player at his best.
Vote: Kompany
DC: Martin Demichelis vs Gary Cahill
Martin Demichelis has improved of late and looks a solid player, but there’s no doubt that Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill is the superior player and has been in tremendous form of late, making him the clear winner here.
Vote: Cahill
MC: Yaya Toure vs Nemanja Matic
Two players with somewhat different roles in their team, but it is hard not to go for the more attack-minded Yaya Toure here, with the Manchester City star among the best players in the world on his day, even if he has not quite hit his best form so far this season.
Vote: Toure
MC: Fernandinho vs Cesc Fabregas
Again, two central midfielders with different roles, it still has to be the immense creativity of Cesc Fabregas that gets the nod here, with the Chelsea playmaker likely to form an incredible partnership with City’s Toure in this midfield two.
Vote: Fabregas
MR: David Silva vs Andre Schurrle
Although not in his best position on the right-hand side, David Silva has played there before for Manchester City and Spain and is a player of such ability and intelligence that he can play almost anywhere in midfield. Andre Schurrle has improved and looks a top talent, but Silva is still the better option here.
Vote: Silva
ML: Samir Nasri vs Eden Hazard
A no-brainer really, with Chelsea star Eden Hazard one of the best attacking players in Europe based on recent form. Samir Nasri is a great talent, but his inconsistency and tendency to disappear in the big games means he is just not at that level at the moment.
Vote: Hazard
FC: Sergio Aguero vs Loic Remy
Although not always a regular for Chelsea, Loic Remy looks a top signing and is included here for the sake of fielding two strikers. Still, few in the league have a chance against Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero in full flow, and he gets the nod upfront in this combined XI.
Vote: Aguero
FC: Edin Dzeko vs Diego Costa
Two physically imposing and prolific centre-forwards, it is still something of an unfair comparison to make given Diego Costa’s form since he signed for Chelsea this summer. The Spaniard has already scored seven goals in just four Premier League games and looks on course to become one of the best strikers in the world, making him the easy choice over Dzeko here.
Vote: Costa
Manchester City & Chelsea combined XI in full: