Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Combined XI | Premier League 2020-21

Forwards: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Edinson Cavani (Manchester United), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's best position might be as a left-sided forward

Choosing the three forwards for this combined Manchester United and Arsenal side was almost an impossible task. Both sides are blessed with some brilliant and dangerous attacking talent, and unfortunately, a lot of the players regularly switch position or play in multiple areas, making choosing three even trickier.

But with respect to the talents of Alexandre Lacazette, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood, the trio chosen is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford.

Arsenal’s Aubameyang is arguably the most dangerous goalscorer here, as he’s scored a total of 78 goals in 129 appearances since joining the Gunners, and won the Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2018-19.

However, this season we’ve seen Aubameyang struggle a little more, particularly when he’s been played through the centre. In fact, none of Aubameyang’s five Premier League goals in 2020-21 have come as a central striker – they’ve all come when he’s played on the left, as did his lone assist.

Therefore, Aubameyang claims the left forward position in this team.

On the right, Arsenal’s Saka actually has the best goals-to-game ratio, as he’s scored four of his five Premier League goals from that position. However, he’s more naturally a left-sided player, whereas United’s Marcus Rashford is able to score goals from anywhere across the front line.

This season, Rashford has scored fifteen goals and registered five assists. He’s scored five of those goals from the left, but two have also come from the right, where his pace and power make him equally dangerous.

That leaves the centre-forward spot, and with Aubameyang and Rashford already in, it’s a three-way tussle between Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette.

Of the three, Lacazette has the most goals to his name with ten, but he’s also played 24 games – starting in 17 of them – compared to just eight starts for Cavani, who has five goals, as many as Martial’s managed in 32 matches.

Martial is perhaps the best of the trio at linking teammates in – he has four assists thus far.

But in terms of raw finishing ability, as well as top-level experience, Uruguay’s Cavani takes the spot. After all, if you were to put each man in a one-on-one situation with a goalkeeper, you’d probably bet on Cavani. Therefore, he spearheads this team.

Manchester United and Arsenal Combined XI: 2020-21 season