sport news Guardiola's side lock out the midfield, but does van Dijk make Sportsmail's Man ... trends now
Manchester City host Liverpool on Saturday in a mouth-watering lunchtime clash with serious implications at the top of the table.
Pep Guardiola's side need every point they can get in their bid to overhaul Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League. But with the club in pursuit of three trophies, and a potential question mark over Erling Haaland after he pulled out of Norway's squad, there's no guarantees.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have only the league to focus on now, and Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to see his side get three points at the Etihad to boost their hopes of making the top four despite a turbulent campaign to date.
With plenty of top talent on display for both sides, combining the Premier League's last five title-winning seasons, there's lots of great players to choose from, and if you threw both north-west sides together, you could make a dream team.
But who cuts it to make Sportsmail's combined Man City and Liverpool XI?
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool travel to Pep Guardiola's Man City for a mouth-watering clash
Erling Haaland may be fit to play, but Andrew Robertson has the task of keeping him at bay
Amidst Liverpool's rocky season so far, Alisson has proved himself to be one of Klopp's most capable players. The 30-year-old Brazilian shared the Golden Glove award last season, and has 10 clean sheets to his name this term, most recently in their 7-0 drubbing of Man United.
Alisson is run close to the role of goalkeeper for the combined side though. Fellow countryman Ederson has been great for the hosts, sharing the Golden Glove with Alisson in 2021-22, and also has 10 clean sheets this season. But Alisson gets the nod for the Brazilian national team, and Sportsmail agrees.
Right-back - Kyle Walker (Man City)Kyle Walker is dependable for club and country. The 32-year-old has been part of a Man City side that has won the Premier League several times, and he has been a key part of keeping out the opposition at crucial times. He's also held his position in a changing England side under Gareth Southgate.
It's a tough break for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is just struggling to get the breaks this season. Undoubtedly a top talent, he just doesn't match Walker's consistency at the present time, hence why the Man City man is selected.
Centre-back - John Stones (Man City)Alongside Walker in defence, John Stones has been an integral part of Manchester City's stellar run, and also key to Southgate's England plans. He's featured in 15 of their Premier League games so far, and helped them to keep firmly on the heels of Arsenal at the top of the table.
At 28, the Barnsley-born central defender is also likely to be at the heart of Man City's future tilts at trophies as well, including Saturday's clash at the Etihad, and their Champions League quarter-final legs against Bayern Munich in a couple of weeks.
Alisson is selected as Sportsmail's goalkeeper for a combined XI despite Ederson's abilities
The centre-back pairing of Manchester City's Ruben Dias and John Stones cannot be split up
You can't split up a good partnership, and Sportsmail agrees that Stones needs Ruben Dias next to him. The Portuguese centre-back works effortlessly alongside his teammate, and it has helped to sure up a strong Man City defence, which allows their formidable frontline to flourish.
Dias and Stones also sit a little easier in their roles at centre-back while Liverpool's backline have had a torrid time. Klopp switches up his side to try and find which combination works, and all the time they're leaking goals. Only a little while ago, Virgil Van Dijk would have been a shoe-in for one of these places. Not anymore.
Left-back - Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)One of the few shining lights that Klopp has to his disposal in the Liverpool
