Premier League 2018-19: Liverpool vs Manchester City

Manchester City and Liverpool, the top 2 teams of the Premier League table, lock horns at Anfield on 7th October. Both teams have 19 points from 7 matches but City is ahead in terms of goal difference.

City is the defending champions and their coach Pep Guardiola would like to win back-to-back titles to secure his status as one of the greatest coaches of all time. Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would also love to win a Premier League title and become the first manager to do so. Both teams have scored heaps of goals already.

City scored 6 past Huddersfield while Liverpool scored 4 against West Ham and therefore, it should be a very exciting match between 2 attacking teams.

Both City and Liverpool have very exciting teams and some pretty exceptional players in their line-ups. However, City are a bit ahead on paper as they have a more balanced squad and proven match winners.

We would like to make a combined team of the 2 best teams in the EPL for the sheer fun of it. However, the job is not going to be easy. Let us start:

1. Goalkeeper – Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

The Brazilian goalkeeper has been very impressive so far and is proving to be a great signing for Liverpool. He had a great World Cup and is continuing his good run in the Premier League. He has already kept 4 clean sheets in 7 matches and is already one of the best goalkeepers in the league.

Becker is almost 6 feet 4 inches tall and quite a physical specimen. Moreover, he is not usually afraid to come out of the goal and face the attackers. His save off Eden Hazard against Chelsea is a testimony to his anticipation and courage.

Becker is also good in the air and a good shot-stopper. He has a commanding presence in the box and is an asset to the team because of those virtues. However, he is going to face a stern test against a very strong City attack and would have to perform well if Liverpool is to win this game.

2. Centre Back – John Stones (Manchester City):

The English Centre-Back is a regular starter for his national team and has emerged as one of the most promising young players of English football in the last couple of seasons. He has exceptional man-marking skills and wonderful anticipation. Stones has been a mainstay in the City defense in the last couple of seasons and replaced Nicolas Otamendi in the starting eleven.

However, Stones would have to improve his distribution skills to become an even better defender. He would also have to be a bit retrospect before going for full-fledged tackles. He remains one of the more consistent and reliable performers of the league.

3. Centre Back - Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool):

Van Dijk is into his second season with Liverpool and already one of their better players. He had put in an exceptional performance against a star-studded attacking line-up of Real Madrid in last year’s UEFA Champions League final. Van Dijk is physically strong and combines that strength with clean tackling and anticipation.

He also has a good header on him and can be a threat from set-pieces. Van Dijk also plays the offside trap very well and can be relied on while playing a high line. However, he would have to improve on his agility while playing against slippery forwards like Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.

4. Left Back – Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City):

Mendy is a new signing for City and has proved to be exceptional so far. His wonderful cross led to City’s first goal against Arsenal in their first match and he has been a threat for oppositions ever since. He is very fast, a good dribbler for a defender and capable of delivering quality crosses.

Mendy also has a tendency to cut inside at times and that quality goes very well with City’s fluid playing style. He swaps positions occasionally with teammates like Sterling and Bernardo Silva and poses a constant threat to rivals. However, he would have to show more controlled behavior to convince his manager to start giving him a regular place in the starting squad.

5. Right Back – Kyle Walker (Manchester City):

Walker is another of Guardiola’s recent signings and is into his second season with City. The England International has got a wonderful pace and makes rampaging overlaps through the right wing. Walker plays as a center back in a 3-5-2 for England’s national team and therefore, is good at defending too.

City relies on him a lot to deliver those vital crosses. He also combines with Riyad Mahrez to amplify City’s attacking threat through the right-wing. The former Tottenham Hotspur player is a proven performer in English football and one of the more reliable City players. He has played more than 350 matches at the top level and his experience could come in handy against Liverpool.

6. Defensive Midfielder – Jordan Henderson (Liverpool):

The Liverpool veteran is an exceptional player for them and still going strong after 7 seasons and 275 matches for the club. Henderson has good tactical awareness, is a decent passer and regularly gives cover to the defenders. He continues to be a very pivotal player for the club.

Moreover, he has enough big match experience and can handle the pressure very well. His distribution could still improve but there is no denying the obvious fact that he is a capable midfielder in his own right.

7. Central Midfielder- Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City):

The German international of Turkish descent is an exceptionally talented midfielder and one of the better passers in world football today. He can play as a defensive midfielder and also prefers to venture forward. He can play as a playmaker because of his good understanding of the game and ball skills.

Gundogan is into his third year with the club and is a very important player in the City set-up. His exceptional passing makes him the driving force in City’s midfield and he keeps growing in stature as a player.

8. Central Midfielder - Bernardo Silva (Manchester City):

Silva is also a new signing for City and has already stamped his class in his inaugural season for them. He is a solid dribbler and has a good shot on him. He scored a scorcher against Arsenal from the edge of the penalty box and is easily capable of scoring more than 10 goals in a season.

Silva also combines well with Mendy and Sterling, as mentioned earlier. He is quite adept at switching positions and creating spaces for teammates. He is also a very skillful player who is capable of beating opposition defenders with his nimble footwork.

9. Right-winger – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool):

Salah had a phenomenal season in 2017-18 and won the FA Player of the Year by scoring 44 goals for Liverpool in all competitions. He has not gone close to matching that level this season but it’s still early for him. He got subbed against Chelsea and that could act as a driving factor for him to perform better against City.

Salah is a constant threat for the rival's defense when he is on the right wing and should get enough space in the City half for doing so. However, the City midfielders and defenders would press him hard after losing possession and he would have to get rid of the ball in a fast manner.

10. Left-winger - Raheem Sterling (Manchester City):

Sterling remains an enigma as he keeps scoring for his club but is usually unable to find the net for his country. He is a very talented footballer and is playing his fourth season with City. He has already scored 48 goals in almost 148 matches for City.

Sterling has got pace, is a good dribbler and is capable of switching positions. His agility makes him difficult to mark and he is one of the most vital components in City’s fluid playing style. If City are to beat Liverpool, Sterling would have to perform reasonably well.

11. Centre Forward – Sergio Aguero (Manchester City):

Aguero has already scored 206 goals in 301 matches for City and is the club's top goalscorer in history. The Argentinian remains one of the most prolific strikers in the history of the Premier League. He is extremely dangerous in and around the opposition penalty box and should be a permanent worry for the opposition defenders.

He scored a wonderful hat-trick against Huddersfield this season but is not as consistent as he would like to be. However, he should rise to the occasion against Liverpool and come up with a performance befitting his stature. If Aguero delivers a good performance, City would be difficult to stop.

Aguero is a complete attacker. He has assisted in 52 occasions for Manchester City since his arrival in 2011.

He has scored 20 or more goals in five of his past seven campaigns in the EPL. Against Liverpool, he scored City's first goal in the 5-0 win for Guardiola's squad in last year's EPL season.

Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.

Premier League 2018-19: Liverpool vs Manchester City | Combined eleven