Arsenal host Man United on Wednesday in a high-profile midweek showdown
Here, Mail Sport runs through a combined XI with players from both teams
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By HARRY PASCOE
Published: 10:45 EST, 4 December 2024 | Updated: 10:45 EST, 4 December 2024
One of the Premier League’s most storied rivalries will add another chapter to its long history on Wednesday, as second placed Arsenal go head-to-head with a seemingly rejuvenated Manchester United under new coach Ruben Amorim.
Both sides racked up convincing wins at the weekend, and scored a total of nine goals between them to improve their positions in the table.
At Old Trafford, Manchester United won handsomely, thrashing a poor Everton 4-0 in a game which saw Zirkzee strike twice and Marcus Rashford continue his return to goalscoring form.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners showed sharp shooting on Saturday against West Ham as five first half goals carried them to an easy 5-2 victory in East London. The win takes Arsenal second, albeit they share an identical league record with third placed Chelsea.
But which stars make a combined eleven of these Premier League powerhouses, as an astonishing 241st competitive meeting between the two sides approaches?
Here, Mail Sport makes those tough decisions for you.
Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping to keep pace with Liverpool by beating Man United
New Man United head coach will hope his side can build on their victory over Everton
Formation: 4-3-3
Due to Arsenal’s superior table position, we have decided to use their tactical setup over United’s.
Goalkeeper: Andre Onana
Starting off with arguably the toughest choice, either David Raya or Andre Onana could have made the starting XI with no questions asked. However, the United keepers’ improvement from last campaign tips all the arguments in his favour.
The Cameroonian had a slow start to life at Old Trafford last season. A number of high-profile errors early on saw his own fans start to question his ability. However, this campaign, Onana has returned with a vengeance.
He has the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper in the league with six and has prevented a total of 4.7 goals, almost double the figure of his closest rival, injured Tottenham stopper Guglielmo Vicario.
While Raya has made a catalogue of unbelievable saves this season, Onana more than matches up, and thoroughly deserves his place in the starting XI.
Andre Onana has enjoyed an impressive season for Man United, making a string of fine stops
Right back: Jurrien Timber
In another tough position to fill, it is Arsenal who this time come out on top.
After an injury ravaged first season at the Gunners in which he managed just three appearances across all competitions, Timber has stepped up admirably in the absence of Ben White. With the Englishman not returning until at least January, the Dutch defender has plenty of time to stake his claim to a regular spot in the back line.
He has slotted seamlessly into Arteta’s system this season and in avoiding serious injury in the first third of the season, he has become one of the sides most reliable performers.
Providing ample support to William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes when they find themselves overwhelmed, as well as tearing forward when Arsenal need an extra man in attack, Timber can seemingly do it all, and still aged just 23, he has plenty of time to improve.
Jurrien Timber has slotted into Arsenal's backline seamlessly after an injury hit first season
Centre back: William Saliba
Likened to a young Van Dijk, and receiving shouts from Arsenal supporters as being the best defender in the world, Saliba has been outstanding for the best part of two and a half seasons now for Arteta’s side. The France star looks set to play a big part in any future success the London club may have.
Appearing in all but one of the Gunners' games this season, Saliba is Mr Reliable at the back. Saliba always seems to be in the right place at the right time, with one particular statistic putting him head and shoulders above the rest.
As of Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, Saliba had made 27 successful tackles without being dribbled past once. At that same point in time, no other player in the league had more than 15 successful tackles without being dribbled past. It is easy to see why Arsenal fans label him a Rolls Royce.
William Saliba has been outstanding at the heart of defence and is key to Arsenal's prospects
Centre back: Gabriel Magalhaes
Central to Arsenal’s defence since his arrival from Lille in 2020, Gabriel has thrived under Arteta’s management. In a suffocating partnership with Saliba the two have formed an almost impenetrable wall at times. The pair were a significant reason why Davd Raya won last season's Premier League Golden Glove; he was so well protected, he barely needed to save anything!
Furthermore, Gabriel has started to add goals to his game. Charging forward every time Arsenal win a corner, he wins his aerial battles more often than not. The Brazilian has already scored four goals this season, equalling his tally from last campaign after 19 games in all competitions.
However, the Brazilian was taken off at half time against West Ham United at the weekend, despite scoring the opening goal of the game. Arteta revealed that he was being protected after a recurrence of a minor injury he picked up during their 5-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon.
Arteta tried to play down its significance, but Arsenal fans will still be nervous in the hours before the matchday squad is announced.
Gabriel Magalhaes' has a strong partnership with Saliba and his goals have also proved crucial
Left back: Noussair Mazraoui
When he was brought in for just over £15 million in the summer, Man United fans were worrying why the Bayern Munich right-back was being allowed to leave for such a relatively cheap fee. Was he injury prone? Inconsistent? Did he have a bad influence in the dressing room?
Well it turns out that Bayern’s loss is United’s gain, because Mazraoui has been nothing short of outstanding so far this season. Despite filling in for Luke Shaw in the unfamiliar surroundings of left-back, the Moroccan has shone for the Red Devils regardless of the coaching personnel, and has a strong argument for being their player of the season so far.
Equally effective in attack and defence, Mazraoui has contributed two assists this season, as well as having a less direct helping hand in plenty of other goals. He also leads United player’s in successful tackles, with his figure of 43 putting him fourth in the overall league standings. It will be this defensive nous that will have a big say in Wednesday’s outcome.
Noussair Mazraoui has been outstanding for Man United this season despite their struggles
Central midfield: Martin Odegaard
Despite missing over half of Arsenal’s games through injury, the Arsenal captain immediately showed why he has the armband upon his return to the starting lineup. Missing 12 games for his club across September and October, the Norwegian finally rejoined the team for their London derby with Chelsea.
That night proved to be the start of a stunning reintroduction to Arsenal’s midfield; he assisted Gabriel Martinelli for their only goal against the Blues, and set up another for Saka in the win against Nottingham Forest.
Most importantly, he finally opened his account for the season from the spot against West Ham. Since his return from injury, Arsenal have scored 14 goals in four games, while in the four games before his return, they bagged just five. Coincidence? I think not…
Arsenal have scored 14 goals in four matches since Martin Odegaard returned from his injury
Central midfield: Bruno Fernandes
Often a maligned figure thanks to his on-field antics, it is hard to ignore the creative qualities that Fernandes possesses. The numbers he has been producing season after season for United deserve more credit than they are getting, and when you have a chance to see him play, he makes the game look effortless.
Already notching nine assists this season, supported by four goals, United’s captain is having another stellar season, and we shouldn't be surprised. He has hit double figures for both goals and assists in his last four seasons, and only failed to do so in his first season in Manchester because he was bought in January.
Creating nine big chances in the league already this season, Fernandes looks set to be Amorim’s primary creative outlet, shown by his two assists against Everton last time out.
If Amorim can squeeze even more impressive numbers out of his fellow countryman, United could very suddenly become dark horses for Champions League football next season.
Bruno Fernandes provided two assists in Man United's win over Everton on the weekend
Central midfield: Declan Rice
Providing a bit of defensive balance in the midfield is Arsenal’s record signing. Younger and more energetic than Casemiro, and more accustomed to Premier League football than Manuel Ugarte, Rice is the only correct answer in this position.
While he is by definition a defensive midfielder, Rice’s goal output is more than high enough to earn him a place in an orthodox midfield three, particularly when looking at last seasons numbers. Rice chipped in with seven goals and nine assists in a title challenging season, placing him fifth in Arsenal’s goal contribution standings, ahead of attackers Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
However, it is his defensive presence that garners the most praise. He seems to be able to cut out danger before it even emerges on other players radars, and his transitional play from attack to defence, as well as vice versa, makes him an invaluable cog in Arteta’s system.
Scoring his first goal for the Gunners against United last season, Rice will have fond memories of this fixture.
Declan Rice provides stability to Arsenal's side, although regularly contributes going forwards
Right wing: Bukayo Saka
Saka’s ceiling seems to get higher and higher every time he plays. After going four consecutive games without having a hand in a goal, people were starting to ask questions over whether he had been overplayed in recent seasons, with some, somewhat unnecessarily giving him some stick on social media.
In Arsenal’s last three games, he has burst into life, notching three goals and four assists, taking his season totals to seven and 11 respectively. Thanks to his persistent creativity, he is the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to reach double figures for assists this season, and only Mohamed Salah has more over the last five seasons.
He is also the joint second fastest man to reach 10 assists in a Premier League season, with the 12 games needed to reach the target only eclipsed by Harry Kane and Mesut Ozil’s 11. Long story short, the Englishman more than deserves a place in the combined XI.
Bukayo Saka is the first player in Europe's top five leagues to reach double figures
Left wing: Marcus Rashford
After a world class 2022/23 season, in which he netted 30 times and assisted nine more, Rashford came under intense scrutiny for a serious drop in numbers last campaign. Seemingly lacking motivation under Erik Ten Hag, the Englishman could only contribute a total of 13 times in all competitions last season, leading to some labelling him as past his best.
However, with 10 goal involvements already this season Rashford seems to be returning to his best, and with two goals in the 4-0 win over Everton, his form seems to be just at the right team. United will need form players over the busy Christmas period, and if Rashford starts chipping in with contributions in most games, they could reach the end of December in better shape than at the start.
Doubling the goal involvements of fellow left wingers Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli this season, the left wing spot is Rashford's and Rashford's alone.
Marcus Rashford scored twice against Everton and appears to be returning to form
Striker: Kai Havertz
Building on a strong debut season for Arsenal last campaign, Havertz already has nine goals in all competitions this season, just five away from last season's tally. A much maligned figure at Chelsea thanks to poor finishing and apparent laziness off the ball, Havertz has banished any sign of that player since his move across London.
Transitioning away from midfield roles and being shaped into an out and out striker, Arteta is quickly forming Havertz into one of the most efficient forwards in English football. While his slight frame may indicate a lack of strength, Havertz can more than hold his own in the opposition penalty area, and with his 6ft 4 frame, is an aerial threat from Arsenal’s dangerous set pieces as well.
Outscoring both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund of United, Havertz is top scorer across both sides, and will provide the single greatest goal threat on Wednesday.
Arteta is quickly making Kai Havertz into one of the most efficient forwards in English football