Harry Diamond
Manchester City face Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, in an early season match-up between two of English football’s leading sides.
Man City got the better of Spurs in both Premier League meetings last term, however, the North London side exacted revenge by eliminating Pep Guardiola’s side in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Ahead of the huge clash at the Etihad, we’ve decided to compile our ultimate XI of players from both sides.
Here is the Football Faithful’s Manchester City and Tottenham combined XI…
Goalkeeper: Ederson
The Manchester City goalkeeper has helped change the way modern goalkeepers are viewed and beats Hugo Lloris to a position in our team, combining a commanding presence with the passing range of an elite midfielder.
Often referred to as a sweeper-keeper, Ederson has also been credited with being the deepest of deep-lying playmakers, able to launch attacks with his pinpoint long-range passing.
The 25-year-old is perfectly suited to Guardiola’s style, his performances rewarded with inclusion in last season’s PFA Team of the Year.
Right-back: Kyle Walker
A former Tottenham player, Walker’s switch to City has been vindicated after winning back-to-back Premier League titles and English football’s first-ever domestic treble since moving to the Etihad in 2017.
Possessing lightning pace and athleticism, Walker is comfortable bombing forward and has developed his game under Guardiola, the Spaniard’s full-backs often tasked with tucking into midfield.
Guardiola’s influence has also seen Walker utilised in a central defensive role with England, the 29-year-old evolving from marauding wing-back to all-round modern defender.
Centre-back: Toby Alderweireld
Having established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading central defenders at Tottenham, it remains a mystery why no club activated the Belgian’s reported £25m release clause this summer.
A fine defender, the 30-year-old is capable of launching attacks with long balls from the back and has proven a bargain signing since joining from Atletico Madrid for £11.5m four years ago.
Having entered the final year of his contract in North London, there is likely to be a queue of suitors to sign the defender on a free transfer next summer.
Centre-back: Aymeric Laporte
The French defender had been regarded as a promising talent during his time at Athletic Bilbao, with City parting with £58m to secure a signing who has slotted seamlessly into Guardiola’s squad.
Comfortable in bringing the ball out of defence, Laporte’s ability as a ball-playing defender make him ideally suited to Guardiola’s possession-based style.
The 25-year-old has since established himself as the club’s first-choice defender, whilst he has also shown versatility in filling in at left-back on occasion.
Having helped City to back-to-back titles and a domestic treble, his continued omission from the France squad remains surprising.
Left-back: Danny Rose
Whilst probably not the same player who won consecutive places in the PFA Team of the Year in 2016 and 2017, the England international remains a fine player and does enough to edge out teammate Ben Davies and City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko to earn a position in our combined XI.
Tottenham’s longest-serving player has been a consistent and reliable performer for several seasons, combining his competitive nature with athleticism and a fine left-foot.
Linked with a move away, Rose is still just 29 and would prove a quality addition to any Premier League side.
Right-wing: Bernardo Silva
Namesake David has announced he will leave Manchester City after ten years next summer, having established himself as arguably the club’s greatest ever player.
Many fans would fear the exit of a club icon, but Bernardo has already shown he is the man to replace the Spanish playmaker.
The 25-year-old’s influence has steadily grown on Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City side, Bernardo delivering a series of outstanding performances last term.
Establishing himself as firm favourite amongst the club’s fans, Bernardo is a creative presence who runs himself into the ground, his performances last season rewarded with City’s Player of the Year award.
Midfield: Fernandinho
The Brazilian international has been fundamental to City’s recent successes, providing the defensive screen which has allowed the club’s attacking players to flourish.
At 34, he continues to bring energy, composure and tactical intelligence to the holding midfield role, his importance often emphasised most when he is absent from the side.
His advancing years mean City will have to plan for his eventual departure, as evidenced by the club-record signing of Rodri this summer, though the midfielder is likely to continue to play a key role in the coming campaign.
For all of City’s expensively assembled additions in recent years, few have been as important as the former Shakhtar Donetsk star.
Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
The man who makes Guardiola’s Manchester City side tick, the Belgian international is the creative hub in what is regarded by some as the Premier League’s greatest ever team.
Few in the Premier League possess the vision or passing range of the former Wolfsburg player, who is often the heartbeat of City’s best displays.
Comfortable in a variety of roles, De Bruyne is as complete a player as there is in English football’s top flight, and arguably its very best
Left-wing: Raheem Sterling
Is there a more productive or important player in the Premier League right now?
An opening day hat-trick at West Ham was the latest showing from the 24-year-old, who has flourished into one of world football’s best-attacking players.
The former Liverpool star hit 22 goals in all competitions last season, providing a further 10 assists, and was often looked to for inspiration during City’s treble-winning campaign.
His performances were rewarded with a FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year double, deserved individual accolades for the winger’s most impressive season to date.
Forward: Sergio Aguero
One of the Premier League’s finest finishers ever since his arrival in 2011, Aguero remains the focal point in City’s attacking armoury.
A four-time title winner, Aguero became just the second player in the league’s history to net 20+ league goals in five consecutive seasons last term, a feat only previously managed by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
His remarkable consistency means Aguero possesses the best minutes-to-goal ratio in history, of any Premier League player to have scored over 30 league goals.
His tally of 21 league strikes last season saw him move up to sixth in the division’s all-time record goal scorers list, a similar total in 2019/20 will see him move ahead of legendary figures such as Thierry Henry and Frank Lampard.
Forward: Harry Kane
The England captain looks primed for another prolific campaign, having fired a late brace to earn Tottenham an opening day win over Aston Villa.
The 26-year-old’s 17 league goals last season was his lowest total since becoming a Spurs regular, as injuries hampered his progress in a frustrating campaign.
Back fit, Kane will hope to once again challenge for the Premier League’s Golden Boot, having won the award in consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.
Kane has now scored a remarkable 127 goals in just 179 Premier League appearances for Spurs, the forward regarded as one of the world’s very best finishers.
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