Saturday afternoon marks the first time thatManchester CityandManchester Unitedwill play each other in anFA Cupfinal.
And ahead of the tie, football data experts atSofascorehave picked a combined XI based on highest averagePremier Leaguerating in each position.
The fixture has all the makings of a classic, with the clash representing the second hurdle forCityas they make their bid for a remarkable treble of trophies.
Win at Wembley, and Pep Guardiola’s side will only have to beat Inter in the Champions League to etch their names into the history books.
Across the pitch, United will be aiming to secure their second domestic cup trophy while Ԁєɑłing a blow to City’s ambitions.
Both teams are stacked with firepower. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, and Bruno Fernandes are all likely to grace the Wembley turf.
And while the stars are likely to be included by Guardiola and Erik ten Hag in their final XIs for the day, some high-profile names have missed out on Sofascore’s line-up…
The highest-rated combined Manchester XI
David de Gea edges out Ederson
The Premier League golden glove winner might have had some shaky moments this season, but he just pips Ederson in this XI.
It has been a decent campaign for De Gea overall, with the Spaniard’s 15 clean sheets the highest in the division by three.
With De Gea’s contract set to expire in the summer and no new Ԁєɑł announced as of yet, could Wembley mark the final time he dons a United shirt though?
United dominate the back line
Even though the Premier League champions conceded 10 fewer league goals than their rivals this season, it is United who clean up most of the defensive positions.
Luke Shaw’s single goal and two assists for United in the league, along with the team’s clean sheet record, puts him in over Nathan Ake, who still records an impressive rating of 7.00.
Lisandro Martinez, like De Gea, didn’t have the most impressive start to life in Manchester but has since shown his qualities and become a fan favourite at Old Trafford.
He partners John Stones, who has been one of the best ball-playing centre-backs/defensive midfielders in the league this season since Guardiola tweaked his system.
With Ake considered for the left-back role, their next-highest rivals would have been Ruben Dias with a rating of 6.98 and Harry Maguire with an average score of 6.95.
The clearest gap between defєɴԀers overall though was at right back. Diego Dalot’s 7.05 was some way ahead of Kyle Walker, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka closest to his teammate’s rating.
But moving into the middle of the park, it is the blue half of Manchester that takes control.
The solitary United player to earn a spot in the team is Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.
Casemiro has been one of the signings of the season for United, looking a calm presence on the ball while also defensively superb when teams have looked to counter.
His partner in the pivot is Rodri. With his passing ability and Casemiro’s defensive nous, that would be an insane pairing to have.
In front of them, it is a sea of sky blue, with Jack Grealish, De Bruyne, and Riyad Mahrez occupying the attacking midfield spots.
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford can both feel hard done by, with the pair racking up 16 and 22 goal contributions in the Premier League this season respectively.
But Grealish finally looks to have settled atCity. While he only registered five goals and seven assists, he has looked dangerous whenever he gets the ball and has been excellent for Guardiola this campaign.
So although Rashford has scored 12 more times, his 6.89 rating lags behinds Grealish’s 7.34.
Meanwhile, De Bruyne’s efforts earned him a nomination for Player of the Season, with 16 assists the highest tally in the league.
Only backup goalkeeper Stefan Ortega has a higher average rating this season than the Belgian forCity, and he just edges out Bruno who recorded a 7.56, the highest of any United player.
And Mahrez? Well, his 15-goal contributions are beyond those of Antony and Sancho, who have only ever shone in bursts.
That is reflected in the Algerian’s impressive 7.22 average rating, while the two United players lag behind.
Haaland leads the line
How surprised can you really be about this one?
Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst have hardly had seasons in red to shout about. The latter never even got off the mark in the Premier League after signing on loan.
Martial has only netted six times in the league, and continues to belinked with a move awayafter becoming a rotation option.
On the other side of Manchester, Haaland has been breaking records.
A jubilant Erling Haaland celebrates scoring his 35th goal of the Premier League campaign – an outright record for a single season. Vs. West Ham, 2023
City’s number nine has thrived in his debut season in the Premier League, netting 36 league goals in the єɴԀ, more than half what United managed in the league this campaign.
