Arsenal vs Manchester City Prediction: Combined line-up

A struggling Arsenal take on defending champions Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Both sides have had a disappointing season so far, with the Gunners currently sitting at ninth place and seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. Meanwhile, City have been inconsistent at times this season, which saw them slip to third in the league standings.

However, Pep Guardiola’s City are 10 points in front of Freddie Ljungberg’s Arsenal but the 2-1 derby loss to Manchester United in their last league game has left them 14 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Combined Arsenal-Manchester City line-up

Formation: 4-3-3

Ederson (GK)

The Brazilian is, without a doubt, one of the best in the league and has kept 5 clean sheets so far this season.

Kyle Walker (RB)

The Englishman has been a regular in the squad for some time now. He has been crucial for Man City since arriving at the club.

Nicolas Otamendi (CB)

With John Stones injured, the veteran defender gets the nod. A tough defender in his prime, Otamendi is prone to mistakes these days.

Fernandinho (CB)

In the absence of Aymeric Laporte, the seasoned Brazilian has established himself as the first-choice centre-back and has won the trust of Guardiola.

Angelino (LB)

Angelino has started more games for City than Mendy this season. He has looked dangerous whenever he has played and gets into the team ahead of his Arsenal counterparts as well.

Matteo Guendouzi (CM)

This has been a breakthrough season for the young Frenchman and he deservedly gets into this side ahead of Rodrigo, although it’s an arguable decision.

Kevin De Bruyne (RCM)

An inevitable presence in any squad and one of the best midfielders of his generation, De Bruyne (9) is the leading assist-provider in the league.

Bernardo Silva (LCM)

With midfield magician David Silva still remaining doubtful due to injury, Bernardo Silva, with 5 goals and 4 assists is surely the next in line to start.   

Read more:

• Why Ousmane Dembele to Man City would be a match made in heaven
• Why City should simply splash the cash to seal Sterling’s future
• Why signing Upamecano could offer City some stability at the back

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (RW)

Probably Arsenal’s only consistent player on the pitch. He is a prolific goal-scorer and has been in good form as always. He has 11 goals to his name as of now.

Gabriel Jesus (ST)

The Brazilian youngster scored a hat-trick against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League recently and has also scored 5 league goals.

Raheem Sterling (RW)

One of the top players in the world, Sterling has been key to City’s recent successes. He has scored 8 league goals and 5 in Champions League.

Celtic vs Rangers Prediction: Combined Old Firm XI

Celtic and Rangers lock horns at Hampden Park in the final of the Betfred Cup on Sunday, as both the Old Firm giants look to get their hands on the first piece of silverware for the season.

It is the first time that the two powerhouses of Scottish football are going to meet each other in a cup final since Rangers’ 2-1 victory over the Hoops in the League Cup way back in 2011.

Neil Lennon’s side beat the Gers 2-0 in the first Old Firm derby of the season at Ibrox back in September, and the ‘Treble treble’ winners will head into the League Cup final on Sunday in high spirits after Rangers lost valuable ground in the title race following a 2-2 draw against Aberdeen on Wednesday.

Here’s the combined Old Firm XI featuring 5 Celtic and 6 Rangers stars ahead of the Betfred Cup final at Hampden Park on Sunday:

Combined Celtic-Rangers XI

Allan McGregor (GK)

The 37-year-old has been in stunning form between the sticks for Rangers this season and while Fraser Forster too has put in some splendid displays, it would be fair to say that the veteran has been called into action way more often as compared to his counterpart.

James Tavernier (RB)

The Rangers captain is undoubtedly the best right-back in the entire division and few would have any arguments regarding that. Tavernier has somewhat blown hot and cold this season but he has shown signs of getting back to his best and that is a major boost for the Gers heading into the cup final.

Christopher Jullien (CB)

Question marks were raised when Celtic splashed out a staggering £7million to sign him in the summer but the Frenchman has proven himself to be worth every penny.

Jullien’s commanding displays have somewhat been reminiscent of Virgil van Dijk’s stint at Parkhead and he is definitely a sure pick for Sunday’s combined XI.

Kristoffer Ajer (CB)

The Norwegian has established himself as a sure starter in the heart of the defence for the Hoops this term and he has certainly done way better than the likes of Connor Goldson and Filip Helander. 

Borna Barisic (LB)

The Croatian had been written off by many following his disappointing debut season at Ibrox last term but he has made jaws drop with his incredible resurgence this season, with his pinpoint deliveries from the left flank a key part of Rangers’ dynamics.

Scott Brown (CDM)

An old warhorse of several Old Firm clashes, it’s hard to imagine a combined XI without him in the middle even when he is at the autumn of his career at 34.

Brown has continued to be one of the first names on Lennon’s team sheet this season and his injury-time winner against Hamilton on Wednesday was a clear warning sent to the Gers ahead of Sunday’s final.

Ryan Jack (CDM)

Central midfield is an area where both teams have plenty of quality and it’s former Aberdeen man Jack who gets the nod in the combined XI due to his impressive run of form this season.

With Jack beginning to add a lot of goals and assists to his game, he is certainly a player to watch out for on Sunday. It’s always hard to leave Callum McGregor out but one does get the feeling that he has been outperformed by the likes of Jack and Davis this term.

James Forrest (RW)

Arguably the most consistent winger in the Scottish Premiership over the good part of the decade, the Celtic academy graduate is a sure pick for the combined Old Firm XI. 

The number of goals and assists that he has accumulated over the years is quite astonishing and he could once again make all the difference on Sunday.

Ryan Christie (CAM)

Christie has been quite remarkable for Celtic this term and an overall tally of 16 goals and 10 assists in 28 appearances is certainly eye-watering for someone who is a No.10 by trade.

Rangers don’t have an out-and-out No.10 in their ranks, and while Joe Aribo might fall within that bracket, the Nigerian hasn’t been anywhere close to matching Christie’s brilliance.

Ryan Kent (LW)

Having completed a big-money permanent move from Liverpool back in the summer, Kent hasn’t really hit top gear due to his struggles with injuries.

However, he continues to be a potent threat for the Gers heading into Sunday’s clash and his brace against Hamilton last month was a timely reminder of his pedigree at this level.

Alfredo Morelos (ST)

This is the most decisive pick of the combined Old Firm XI and it’s the Colombian who gets the nod ahead of Odsonne Edouard. 

Morelos, who has scored 25 goals in all competitions already, is way ahead of the Frenchman when it comes to the number of goals scored this season. Edouard, of course, is a better all-round playmaking forward but the Colombian talisman has just been simply unstoppable this season. 

More Celtic News

• Why Ismaila Soro could be a good long-term prospect for Celtic
• Why Celtic should consider a loan move for Lewis Morgan in January
• Why Celtic should keep hold of Olivier Ntcham amidst interest

Ideally, picking both Morelos and Edouard in the combined XI in a 4-4-2 formation would have looked good on paper, albeit it wouldn’t have made much sense in footballing terms.

Manchester City vs Manchester United: Combined line-up

The first Manchester derby of the season will take place when Manchester City welcome city rivals Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Defending champions City stay third in the table after overcoming Burnley 4-1 in their last match. Meanwhile, United moved up to sixth place after defeating North London side Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 recently.

Pep Guardiola’s City would be wary of the fact that any more slip-ups in the coming fixtures could dampen their hopes of a title race, as they trail league leaders Liverpool by 11 points.

The Citizens have not lost any of their last three league games since the humiliating 3-1 defeat to the Reds at Anfield last month.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United are on a four-match unbeaten streak and would be high on confidence when they meet their neighbours for the weekend clash. Now, let’s take a look at the combined line-up featuring stars from both the sides.

Combined Manchester City – Manchester United line-up

Formation: 4-3-3

Ederson (GK)

The Brazilian shot-stopper has been in good form this season and has kept 5 clean sheets in 14 games so far.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB)

Opposition attackers have found it difficult to breach this 22-year old Englishman, who has recorded a whopping 57 tackles this season.

Victor Lindelof (CB)

The Swede has been a consistent performer at the back for United and has grown into one of the regulars under Solskjaer.

Harry Maguire (CB)

Probably the most high-profile name in the defence from both squads. The Englishman has formed a good partnership at the back alongside Lindelof.

Angelino (LB)

With Zinchenko still out due to injury, Angelino gets the nod this time. The Spaniard has performed well whenever given a chance.

Kevin De Bruyne (RCM)

A sure pick in any squad, De Bruyne has been in sensational form. He is the league’s top-assist provider with 9 to his name at the moment.

Scott McTominay (CDM)

The youngster has grown in stature this season and has developed into a key man in United’s midfield. Has scored 3 goals in 13 games.

David Silva (LCM)

It has not been the star veteran’s best of seasons compared to his glory days. Still, he has been excellent in the middle with 3 goals and 6 assists for City.

Riyad Mahrez (RW)

Mahrez has been in top form this season, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. The Algerian’s recent displays put him ahead of Bernardo Silva.

Marcus Rashford (ST)

Not a traditional centre forward but with Sergio Aguero out due to injury, its hard to not include the in-form Rashford, who has scored 9 goals so far.

Read more:

• Why City should simply splash the cash to seal Sterling’s future
• Why signing Upamecano could offer City some stability at the back
• Why Man City must sign Caglar Soyuncu from Leicester City

Raheem Sterling (RW)

Another man in form, Sterling has become one of the most potent attackers in the game. The winger has 8 goals and 1 assist till now.