When composing a combined best starting XI of the two teams set to tangle this weekend in the Premier League’s headliner match-up, you have a few “no-brainers;” a couple of slam dunks if you will.
Tottenham Hotspur heads to Manchester United for a Saturday lunch time fixture, and match-up of the two teams which are five points behind Manchester City for the top of the table. The Red Devils hold an advantage over Spurs in goal differential, but who has the better side on paper?
We looked at the best eleven possible, given if everyone was healthy and put in an ideal situation to be at their best. Not surprisingly, United take the midfield while Spurs dominate the back line.
As you know there are a lot of significant injuries in this one, with Harry Kane not certain to play for Spurs, while on the other side Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford are doubts.
That’s just common sense, but as we said before, you have a few locks to make this team- Spurs striker Harry Kane, United #1 David de Gea, and in the midfield, Tottenham’s Dele Alli and MUFC’s Paul Poga. You simply cannot make a best XI without those four.
No offense to Hugo Lloris or Romelu Lukaku, or the midfielders from either side that we left out, but hey, it is what it is.
There’s plenty that’s up for debate here, and you can certainly have at it in the comments section. We went with Valencia over Trippier, which many might disagree with, plus the inclusion of Martial might be disagreeable to some, as Marcus Rashford might be the United forward some want in that slot.
All in all, Spurs edges United 6-5 for total number of players named in team.
Without further ado, here is our Tottenham and United combined XI
Harry Kane
Anthony Martial Dele Alli Christen Eriksen
Paul Pogba Nemanja Matic
Danny Rose Jan Vertonghen Toby Alderweireld Antonio Valencia
David de Gea
Moving on to the match ahead, we’ll have the real starting XI predictions and injury reports for you shortly.
Odds via BetFair: United 5/4, Draw 23/10, Tottenham 23/10
Prediction: United 1, Tottenham 1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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