SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 11 hrs 39 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
MU
Premier League
Apr 29, 2018 at 4.30pm UK
 
AL

2-1

Pogba (16'), Fellaini (92')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Combined XI: Manchester United vs. Arsenal

:Headline: Combined XI: Manchester United vs. Arsenal: ID:324516: from db_amp
Ahead of Arsene Wenger's final game against Manchester United as Arsenal boss, Sports Mole selects a combined XI from the two squads.

Arsene Wenger will visit Old Trafford for the final time as Arsenal manager this Sunday when the Gunners take on Manchester United in a fixture which has provided some of the most abiding memories of his 22-year reign.

Title tussles between the two are a thing of the past for now, and unusually Arsenal will enter the game with their minds elsewhere as they gear up for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final with Atletico Madrid.

Anything other than a win this weekend will ensure that the Europa League is mathematically Arsenal's only hope of playing Champions League football next season, but United have aims of their own as they look to stave off the challenge of Liverpool to finish second.

Here, Sports Mole selects a combined XI from both squads using players who will be available for this weekend as Wenger and Jose Mourinho do battle for potentially the final time.



Arsenal are expected to welcome Petr Cech back into the fold after missing last weekend's win over West Ham United, but while his place as one of the Premier League greats is already sealed, right now the dominant goalkeeping force in the division is David de Gea, and the PFA Team of the Year member is a simple choice to tend the goal again in this team.

The defensive positions are more difficult to decide upon, with Antonio Valencia just getting the nod over Hector Bellerin due to his superior form over the course of this season. On the other flank, Nacho Monreal beats Ashley Young to the left-back slot having scored five Premier League goals this term, despite spending much of the campaign in a more central position.

With doubts remaining over the fitness of Eric Bailly after missing the FA Cup semi-final through illness, Chris Smalling is the only United centre-back included having now established himself as one of Mourinho's first choices, and his tally of three goals from his last nine games means that he will be an attacking threat too. Alongside him, Shkodran Mustafi gets the second centre-back berth having largely outperformed Laurent Koscielny for long spells this season.

Nemanja Matic - whose arrival at Old Trafford has been one of the major reasons for their leap from sixth to second - is one of the easier selections in the squad ahead of Granit Xhaka, while Paul Pogba is now back in the United team and playing in a midfield trio which is more suited to him. Pogba has five goals and 10 assists to his name this season, and with Aaron Ramsey - producer of seven goals and seven assists - on the other side of the midfield three there should be no lack of attacking threat from the midfield area.

All eyes will be on Alexis Sanchez this weekend as he faces Arsenal for the first time since leaving the club in January, and while the Chilean has not produced his best form in the red of United yet, he continues to be selected and remains the best option for this combined XI too. On the opposite side of the forward three is Mesut Ozil, who returned to the team for the Europa League draw against Atletico on Thursday and beats off competition from the likes of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard for a place in this team.

Arguably the most difficult choice in this team comes up front, where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pips Romelu Lukaku to the centre-forward spot. Aubameyang is facing stiff competition for a place in the Arsenal team from Alexandre Lacazette at the moment, but the Gabon international has directly contributed to nine goals in as many Premier League games since his arrival, scoring six and assisting three. Lukaku's numbers of 26 goals and seven assists across all competitions are not too shabby either, but question marks remain over his ability to perform in the big games.

amp_article__324516 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2018-04-28 15:15:54:
html db last update - 2021-03-02 07:55:04 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Read more!
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .