Manchester City travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday evening for a huge clash in the FA Cup fourth round. So, naturally, we figured now would be a great time to analyse both sides and conjure up a combined XI between the two teams.
While Pep Guardiola’s City team may be the champions of England and Europe, Ange Postecoglou‘s Spurs team are making rapid progress and have quickly established themselves as one of, if not the most entertaining outfits in the Premier League.
Spurs and Man City combined XI
So, who makes it into a combined XI from the two teams? We’ve gone for a fairly standard 4-3-3 formation here, and had some very tough decisions to make.
Guglielmo Vicario: While City keeper Ederson may have the pedigree at the top level, there is no doubting that Guglielmo Vicario has very quickly proven just how talented he is between the sticks. Ederson probably has Vicario beaten when it comes to distribution, but Vicario’s incredible ability to get himself in the way of a shot, and his immense authority, just give him the edge.
Kyle Walker: It says a lot about Kyle Walker’s level of quality that Pedro Porro, one of Tottenham’s best players this season, has no chance of winning this spot right now. Walker has pace, power, a brilliant reading of the game, and is a threat going forward, too.
Cristian Romero: On a good day, there are very few defenders in world football who can match Cristian Romero. His tough tackles and raw passion make him a formidable defender to come up against, but as we know all too well, the Argentine also has a propensity for losing control sometimes. Still, when he is calm and composed, he exhibits a great range of passing and can be a top leader, too.
Micky van de Ven: I was very close to putting Ruben Dias in here, but the Portuguese star has not looked himself at all this season. In such a short space of time, Micky van de Ven has shown his class, and is such a dependable figure at the back for Spurs, especially alongside Romero.
Destiny Udogie: One of the easiest inclusions in the XI, Destiny Udogie has been an absolute revelation this season for Spurs. His marauding runs forward are a joy to behold, and the level of confidence, skill, and power he possesses at such a young age firmly puts Udogie in the wonderkid bracket of world football.
Rodri: There’s a very good chance Rodri may be the most important player in Guardiola’s City side. The Spaniard is so influential in the middle of the park, managing to break up opposition moves with ease and helping his own team transition from defence to attack in the blink of an eye. When Rodri plays, City are almost unbeatable, and when he’s missing, they suffer.
Kevin De Bruyne: To possess the vision that Kevin De Bruyne has would be impressive on its own, but the fact that the Belgian midfielder can actually execute the kinds of passes he does is just unfathomable. Over the years, we’ve seen De Bruyne deliver some superhuman assists, and he’s not got a bad shot on him, either.
James Maddison: It says a lot about Maddison’s quality that of all the players Spurs have been without this season, he has arguably been the biggest loss. His sheer creativity and flair were fundamental to Tottenham’s impressive start to the season, providing goals and assists, and stepping up to become a leader within the team, too.
Bernardo Silva: This was a particularly tricky call, as Dejan Kulusevski is a top player in this position. However, Kulusevski does have a tendency to go quiet sometimes, whereas Bernardo Silva almost always delivers and can make his influence felt on a game. Give it a year, and there will be no leaving Deki out, but for now, the old master takes the starting spot.
Erling Haaland: I mean, do we really need to explain this one? Haaland is a goalscoring monster, and his attacking output since arriving in England last year is just ludicrous, quite frankly.
Heung-min Son: Since being given the captain’s armband at Spurs, Sonny has proven just how much of a world-class superstar he actually is (and always has been). Stepping out of Harry Kane’s shadow has done the South Korean a world of good, and his combination of goals, creativity, skill, and passion are unmatched in this XI. Put simply, Son is the complete package.
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