Liverpool vs. Manchester City: Combined All-Time XI
Liverpool face Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in what is arguably the biggest match in the Premier League this season. Both sides are in form and both are going for the title. It's all set up to be a classic.
With Sergio Aguero set to return and Luis Suarez attempting to break the Premier League record of 34 goals in a season, the league's two best attacking players are set to take centre stage.
Here at Bleacher Report UK HQ, we've been discussing combined Liverpool-City XIs, going back in time to select the very best players the two clubs have had to offer. Here is one possible XI (formation 4-1-3-2) but feel free to use the comment section below to suggest your own.
Goalkeeper: Ray Clemence
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Liverpool's official website succinctly describes Ray Clemence as "without doubt the greatest goalkeeper ever to play for Liverpool".
He signed for the club in 1967 and eventually emerged as the club's No.1 in 1969, replacing Tommy Lawrence as the man between the sticks at Anfield. It was the beginning of an illustrious period for Clemence, who went on to win five league titles, three European Cups, two UEFA Cups, an FA Cup and a League Cup.
The club website goes on to say:
"During his 11 years in the first team he missed just six league matches, won every major honour in the game apart from the European Cup Winners' Cup and displayed a level of consistency that no Reds' keeper has since been able to match.
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It's fair to say that Clemence deserves his position as the No. 1 in this combined Liverpool-City XI for the unflappable, often brilliant, goalkeeping he consistently produced during his time at Liverpool.
Right-Back: Phil Neal
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Phil Neal was involved in Liverpool winning 22 major honours during his 11-year spell with the club, playing 650 times, as well as earning 50 England caps. No other English player can claim to have won more than Neal.
He was known for his consistency, rarely letting the side down and between December 1974 and September 1983 he made 365 consecutive league appearances, a remarkable achievement given the level he was playing at.
He played left-back a few times early on but eventually specialised at right-back, Neal is firmly the first-choice in that position for this combined side. He scored in two European Cup finals: a penalty that sealed Liverpool's first ever European Cup against Borussia Moenchengladbach, and then again seven years later against Roma.
He even managed City for a brief period in 1996 after Steve Coppell left with the side struggling in Division One.
Centre-Back: Vincent Kompany
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Arguably the most important signing in City's recent history, Vincent Kompany is one of the world's finest centre-backs.
Signed by Mark Hughes in 2008 for just £6 million, Kompany was inexplicably used as a midfielder for much of Hughes' tenure. The arrival of Roberto Mancini saw the Belgian moved permanently to centre-back where he has developed into one of the very best in the game.
He's quick, strong and reliable, and he captained City to their first league title in 44 years in 2012.
Centre-Back: Alan Hansen
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Alan Hansen may have become known as a miserable pundit on the BBC's Match of the Day programme, but he was also one of the greatest defenders ever to play in English football.
He signed for the club in 1977 from Partick Thistle and went on to play 620 games in all competitions, winning eight league titles, three European Cups, two FA Cups and four League Cups.
Known for his calmness under pressure, a Hansen-Kompany partnership would make for a very solid central defensive pairing.
Left-Back: Alan Kennedy
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Alan Kennedy made his Liverpool debut in 1978 and won five league titles and two European Cups, before leaving in 1985.
He scored the winning goal against Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup final and was known for his ability to get forward and attack. He solved what had been seen as a problem position for Liverpool and played a significant part in the some of the club's greatest ever triumphs.
Defensive-Midfield: Graeme Souness
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Graeme Souness is widely regarded to be the best midfielder to ever play for Liverpool.
Many have speculated as to whether Steven Gerrard can claim to be the best in the club's history but even Alex Ferguson sees Souness as superior, via the Mirror.
A tough-tackling midfielder of the type every successful side needs, Souness won five league titles and three European Cups for Liverpool, and he also won a Coppa Italia playing for Sampdoria after leaving Anfield.
He returned to Liverpool as manager and won the FA Cup in 1992.
Midfield: Steven Gerrard
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Steven Gerrard made his debut for Liverpool in 1998 as an 18-year-oild, replacing Vegard Heggem at right-back for the closing stages of their match with Blackburn. He's been at the club ever since, winning every major honour except the league title.
He's played 664 times for the club, scoring 173 goals. He's won one Champions League, two FA Cups, three League Cups and a UEFA Cup, and he will be more determined than anyone in the Liverpool squad to win this year's title to complete a full set of honours.
An outstanding passer, Gerrard is the complete midfielder and undoubtedly one of the best players to grace the Premier League.
Midfield: Colin Bell
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Colin Bell is seen by many as City's greatest ever player. He was a midfielder with wonderful passing ability and a great first touch, and he was a key part of City's most successful period.
He won a league title and an FA Cup, as well as two League Cups and a European Cup Winners' Cup all in the space of three glorious years.
He also played 48 times for England, scoring nine goals.
Midfield: David Silva
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However, Bell's position as City's greatest player is under threat from Spanish midfielder David Silva.
Since his arrival in 2010, Silva has won a league title, an FA Cup and a League Cup, and he is also a World Cup and European Championship (x2) winner with Spain.
He's a wonderful player to watch, all neat skill and intricate passing, floating effortlessly around the pitch with style and grace. He, more than any other player, dictates City's tempo and creates their chances.
Striker: Kenny Dalglish
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While there remains some debate over who City's greatest ever player is, for Liverpool it's near-unanimous: Kenny Dalglish.
He netted seven minutes into his debut in 1977 and went on to score 172 goals for the club. He scored all types of goals, from mazy dribbles, to long-range curlers. Dalglish was a rare talent.
He won six league titles, three European Cups, four League Cups and an FA Cup. He managed the side to three league titles and two FA Cups in the mid to late-80s, before a second stint saw him win another League Cup.
He is Scotland's most capped player with 102 appearances and is known as one of the best players to have graced English football.
Striker: Ian Rush
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Ian Rush is Liverpool's all-time leading scorer with 346 in 660 games, a remarkable return that is unlikely to be beaten anytime soon.
Signed in 1980 for £300,000, a record at the time for a British teenager, it took Rush nine games to get his first Liverpool goal.
In 1983-84, Rush scored an almost unbelievable 47 goals, becoming the first British player to win the European Golden Boot.
He won five titles, two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups at Liverpool, before leaving for Leeds United in 1996.
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