Picking an Elite Premier League 6-a-Side Team
The Champions League provides us with the opportunity to see which clubs from Europe's top divisions reign strongest, but it would be magnificent to see which league could thrive best in a six-a-side format.
The Premier League is among the most cosmopolitan of all the world's top flights and arguably the most diverse, which as we'll see, could muster a tremendously promising line-up of its own.
This skimmed-down version of the beautiful game might resemble its 11-a-side cousin, but the tactics are altered for smaller dimensions, where every player needs some degree of technical ability.
From the hundreds of Premier League stars, we've compiled a team of just six who have made the cut, although countless combinations could work wonders.
Honourable Mentions
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Alexis Sanchez
Since moving to the Emirates Stadium from Barcelona over the summer, Alexis Sanchez has shown his potential as a leading man, as opposed to the lesser status he was forced to accept in Spain.
With eight goals in his first 11 Premier League starts, the Chilean's fiery temper has been magnificent on the wing, as a No. 10 or as a leading man, but one particularly bright Argentinian just pips him in our setup.
Nemanja Matic
His first spell at Chelsea may not have been the success he'd hoped for, but since moving back to Stamford Bridge in 2014, Nemanja Matic has shown what a mistake it was for the Blues to let him join Benfica in the first place.
His holding presence has been a marvellous asset for the offensively gifted west Londoners, and his splicing of technical mastery makes him a well-rounded figure suited to a pitch where space is limited.
However, with only one specialist destroyer needed, Matic falls just shy of what's required.
David Silva
Eleven-a-side, six-a-side, one-on-one, one versus 100; there aren't many variations of football where Manchester City's David Silva wouldn't be guaranteed to have some impact.
As he's proven time and again for the Citizens in recent years, the Spaniard is simply one who makes things happen, and quick feet are an essential weapon in the smaller format.
It's unfortunate, therefore, that Silva may be beaten by one whose feet aren't too shabby themselves, and who also brings a more potent threat on goal than Manuel Pellegrini's star.
Goalkeeper: David De Gea
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To the untrained eye, the only difference between 11-a-side and six-a-side football may be pitch size, but the requirements of a goalkeeper in the smaller format are in fact far different.
Just as the players need to be light on their feet, even the No. 1 needs some skills with a ball at their feet, and David de Gea has shown in the past how cool he can be under the cosh.
It goes without saying that handling must still be at a premium of course. Among the quagmire of injury woes at Old Trafford this season, De Gea has been arguably the brightest spot of consistency, winning points with his own performances in front of goal.
A 2-1 win over Stoke City in Week 14 of the campaign was latest evidence of that, and he's performed similar heroics against Everton and Chelsea.
At present, De Gea sits among the elite in terms of reaction saving, which has always been a strength of his, with his 6'4" frame likely to make a six-a-side net feel like an incredibly small target to the opposition.
Defensive Sitter: Vincent Kompany
3 of 7Even in the intense six-a-side atmosphere, defenders are required, but again, those sitting back have to possess a nimble pair of feet. Enter, Vincent Kompany.
Last season's Team of the Year entry has been a success story of the Etihad Stadium's rise in recent years, aided by a healthy combination of bullish, old-school defending, along with all the right modern touches.
As the attached video depicts, picking out a pinpoint pass from 40 yards is no issue for the Belgian captain, but one can bet those skills can be translated to a more minuscule style of play.
Kompany is everything one could desire in a centre-back: Strong but surprisingly swift for one his size and with no small threat in front of goal himself.
If a sitting presence is what one needs and only one Premier League brute is there to fill it, City's stylish stalwart sits as the obvious option.
Anchor: Mile Jedinak
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One out-and-out defender is enough for a six-a-side team, but Kompany would still need that covering aid at times and a specialised engine-room worker always goes down a treat.
It's easy to get selfish in six-a-side. With the enemy goal constantly in sight and screamers always on the cards, everyone wants to be the star, but Crystal Palace's Mile Jedinak is a man who knows his limitations.
Granted, Selhurst Park provides the Australian with a smaller setting in which to excel, but no Premier League anchor has gained more plaudits than he of late.
Perhaps Jedinak's greatest asset is his knack for disruption. He may not win every tackle, but he'll be damned if he doesn't at least try.
This season, no player has won more tackles than the Eagles' general and his 44 accounts for a 49 percent winning ratio, with Morgan Schneiderlin (37) the nearest midfielder to him in that regard.
Turnover is a crucial aspect of the fast-and-furious six-a-side genre, and if all Jedinak did for his team was win possession, or at least aid others in doing so, it would be a job well done.
Midfield Maestro: Eden Hazard
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No six-a-side outfit is complete without their technical genius, the man who's there to try the extraordinary and with the seconds ticking down is able to produce that moment of magic that sparks brilliance.
Cesc Fabregas has reigned as possibly the chief playmaker in Chelsea's rise this term, but Eden Hazard is the more explosive talent of the two and his advantage in pace makes him a more viable candidate for our squad.
After 13 Premier League appearances in 2014-15, no player has a higher Squawka Performance Score than Jose Mourinho's maestro, and his 30 scoring opportunities created is a tally beaten by only three others in the English top flight.
What's more, with a passing accuracy of 90 percent, the Belgian speedster manages to combine individual wizardry with an incredible ability to bring others into play.
All of that sizzle, but with so much substance alongside it, the likes of which would dazzle in tighter surroundings.
Box-to-Box Utility: Wayne Rooney
6 of 7Love him or loathe him, there's no debating the fact that Wayne Rooney sits as one of the most rounded athletes in the Premier League, both a blessing and curse that's arguably stunted his career.
For both club and country, the Merseyside native has unselfishly filled in wherever he's been needed most by his managers, and it makes him a very desirable prospect in six-a-side.
Admittedly, one can't always rely on the Manchester United marvel to produce his best, but the fiery-tempered attacker would do well as a jack of all trades in the downsized game.
His first touch has been known to let him down at times, but with an 85 percent passing accuracy, five goals scored, 15 chances created and 43 percent of all duels won this term, he's once again displaying his balance.
Your side has lost the ball and the enemy are breaking fast? No matter, Rooney's about to hound down the opposition before fashioning something for you.
Hitman: Sergio Aguero
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With the departure of Luis Suarez to La Liga this past summer, somebody had to take the Premier League throne as its most electric attacker, and Sergio Aguero slots in with no shred of doubt in this manager's mind.
Plain and simply, no striker has looked more domineering than he, and although not every six-a-side team necessarily needs that one presence up top who's there to do little else, it doesn't hurt to have one.
Aguero's 12 goals in 13 appearances this season is the most scored by any player and currently sees him as the top contender for the Golden Boot.
Following the South American's hat-trick performance in a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich, Pellegrini referred to Aguero as "one of the best players in the world," per BBC Sport, and his assertions look accurate indeed.
In six-a-side leagues, headers are a rare—and in some leagues, illegal—occurrence, limiting the impact that Diego Costa or Robin van Persie, per se, could have in its realms.
Aguero, therefore, takes precedence as the man who can do it all up front, whether it's a poaching nuisance or individual inspiration one's looking for.
All statistics come courtesy of Squawka and WhoScored.com.
