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

Midfield: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

Bruno Fernandes has arguably been the Premier League's player of the season thus far.

In terms of the holding midfield spot, with respect to Manchester United’s Fred and Scott McTominay, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante was the only real choice.

Sure, the Frenchman is arguably no longer in the same imperious form that saw him win back-to-back Premier League titles with Leicester City and Chelsea.

However, when he’s deployed correctly, he’s still arguably the best holding midfielder in the league.

Kante still scores remarkably highly in terms of his ability to break down an opposition attack. With an average of 2.7 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game, he outstrips McTominay, Fred, and Nemanja Matic comfortably.

And in terms of the levels of sheer energy that he brings to the table, the World Cup winner is basically unparalleled.

Likewise, in terms of the creative spot in this midfield, Bruno Fernandes was the only choice.

The Portuguese international has been a revelation since arriving at Old Trafford in January 2020. And a year down the line, it’s hard to dispute that he’s now Manchester United’s most important player.

In 25 Premier League appearances in 2020-21, Fernandes has 15 goals and 10 assists – meaning he’s involved in at least one goal per game on average.

Simply put, his form in a United shirt has been phenomenal, making him a genuine candidate for the 2020-21 campaign’s Player of the Year.

That leaves room for one more midfielder, and while it was a tough choice, we’ve gone for Chelsea’s Mason Mount.

A favorite of Frank Lampard, Mount seems to have gotten right into new boss Thomas Tuchel’s good books, too.

The 22-year-old isn’t the perfect player yet – he’s only scored four goals and registered three assists in his 24 appearances this season. But arguably more than any other player, he represents Chelsea’s heartbeat.

No player – even Kante – seems to cover as much ground as the England international. And while his passing statistics are high as you’d imagine, he scores surprisingly well in the defensive areas too. Mount averages 2.1 tackles and 1.0 interceptions to go with 2.6 key passes per game.

Playing between the lines alongside Kante and Fernandes, Mount would probably be more effective in this side than he is in real life.