Picking a Combined Arsenal-Manchester City XI
Premier League action comes back with a bang on Saturday when Arsenal host Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in a meeting of two of the country's elite.
The Gunners got the better of City in a one-sided Community Shield contest at Wembley last month, but Manuel Pellegrini's men can legitimately point to both last season's league title and their 6-3 win over Arsene Wenger's side as evidence that they are better side.
But what if we were to combine the two teams? Who'd get in and who'd have to be left out?
Here's an XI to get the debate started:
Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczesny
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Following his recent improvement, Arsenal's Wojciech Szczesny just takes the No. 1 shirt from City and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, although it was a close-run thing.
Szczesny's general consistency and the removal of plenty of errors from his game ensures that the Pole dons the gloves, a just reward for fine form last season which saw him clinch the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.
Right-Back: Pablo Zabaleta
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An extremely strong category is just clinched by Argentina's Pablo Zabaleta, who just gets in ahead of Arsenal's new signing Mathieu Debuchy and his new City teammate Bacary Sagna, who could of course represent both of the teams we're featuring here.
Zabaleta has become Mr. Reliable at City ever since joining the club from Espanyol on 2008, and although Sagna will provide plenty of competition for him this season you have to suspect that the fans' favourite will keep holding down his place at the Etihad Stadium.
Centre-Back: Vincent Kompany
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City's captain will also be a recognised leader within this team, as Belgium's Vincent Kompany takes both the centre-back's position and the armband in our side.
The man who has lifted City's two Premier League titles in the past three years has matured into one of the world's finest defenders since joining the club, and even though the Belgian has had ongoing fitness problems of late, that never seems to affect either his level of commitment or his attitude.
He must be a great team-mate to have.
Centre-Back: Laurent Koscielny
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Having slowly matured into a top-class central defender during his time at Arsenal, French international Laurent Koscielny is now a huge hit on the Emirates Stadium terraces.
His love of a hugely important goal is another thing which has endeared him to those same Gunners supporters, who now view the centre-back as one of the first names on their teamsheet when he's fit.
Now 28. Koscielny would appear to have several more years left at the top, and Arsenal fans will hope that they are all spent with them.
Left-Back: Gael Clichy
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Whilst Sagna, a man who represented both clubs, can't get in at right-back, it is a different story for his fellow Frenchman Gael Clichy on the left.
Beating Aleksandar Kolarov, Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal, Clichy gets into the side for his attacking prowess from the left side as well as his increasing diligence at the back.
Still just 29 despite having appeared to have been around forever, Clichy enjoyed a successful time with both clubs and will bring experience and quality to our combined XI.
Midfield: Fernandinho
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After a fine first season in English football ended with a Premier League winners' medal, Fernandinho was part of the Brazil squad which exited their own World Cup so memorably.
It is to be hoped that he can recover from that and play a crucial part for City once more, as on his day there are few better midfield presences than the former Shakhtar Donetsk man, who can also impress further up the pitch as he demonstrated with two goals against Arsenal in a 6-3 win last season.
Midfield: Yaya Toure
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A summer of transfer rumours, a disappointing World Cup and the death of his brother have made this a difficult time for Yaya Toure, but the Ivorian will doubtless bounce back and go on to prove himself as one of the greatest midfield forces in world football again.
Toure's 20 Premier League goals last season were only bettered by Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, and were a key part of the reason why City eventually pipped the Reds to the Premier League title.
If he can get anywhere near that tally again this time, then they are sure to go close.
Midfield: Aaron Ramsey
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The renaissance of Aaron Ramsey has been the best story associated with Arsenal over the past year, and the Welshman can now deservedly take his place amongst the best midfielders in the Premier League and indeed in the Champions League, too.
Ramsey's forward-thinking and his goalscoring abilities have added so much to an Arsenal team which he once struggled in, but which now is a much better place with him in.
Attack: Mesut Ozil
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German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil may not have consistently shown his best form for Arsenal over his year at the Emirates Stadium, but there can be few who doubt that the former Real Madrid man has the quality to light up plenty of matches.
Perhaps affected by the pace of the English game, Ozil hasn't quite got to grips with everything about playing for Arsenal just yet, but his ability and quality mark him out as one of Europe's very best attacking talents, and a worthy addition to this side.
Attack: Alexis Sanchez
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Arsenal's latest summer acquisition from one of La Liga's big two was Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean who impressed in fits and starts for Barcelona and a player who was prized by several clubs across Europe this summer.
It was the Gunners who eventually got him, though, and after paying back a large chunk of the £35 million transfer fee with the goal which sent Arsenal into the Champions League group stages ahead of playoff-opponents Besiktas, Sanchez could now be seen in a more central role following the injury to forward Olivier Giroud, although Danny Welbeck has arrived at the club from Manchester United.
Attack: Sergio Aguero
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One of the very best at his craft anywhere in world football, Sergio Aguero suffered heartbreak this summer as he was part of the Argentina side which lost the World Cup final to Germany, but defeat doesn't usually feature on his agenda.
Goals against Newcastle and Liverpool at the start of this season hopefully indicate that Aguero is over some of his troubling injury problems, and once he hits top gear, defences both in the Premier League and in Europe will find it hard to stop him.
