Picking a Combined Liverpool vs. Manchester City XI on Form This Season
Liverpool and Manchester City make the trip down to London this weekend to contest a Capital One Cup final that, irrespective of this season's form, will represent a great opportunity for either side to secure their first trophy of 2015/16.
Manuel Pellegrini's City remain in touching distance of the Premier League title, chasing Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, while Liverpool still harbour faint hopes of a top-four finish this season.
This Sunday, however, both Manuel Pellegrini and Jurgen Klopp will be focussed solely on Wembley Stadium, as they battle for honours in the League Cup.
For Pellegrini, this marks the beginning of the end of a relatively successful spell in charge of the Citizens, while his rival on the touchline, Klopp, will be looking to kick off his reign on Merseyside with a first trophy just five months into his tenure.
Both sides are dotted with top-level stars, but who has the strongest lineup? Here, we select our combined XI of players from Liverpool and City, fielded in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
In the interest of relevance, players likely to miss out on Sunday's tie through injury are not included, meaning there is no place for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Martin Skrtel and Fabian Delph—so, who makes the cut?
Kicking off with England's No. 1, here is B/R's combined Liverpool-City XI, ahead of what will be a fiercely contested Wembley final.
GK: Joe Hart
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Joe Hart may not start Sunday's final, with Pellegrini keeping his faith in cup goalkeeper Willy Caballero throughout the season so far, but if the City manager is to take the League Cup seriously, he would be wise to opt against fielding the Argentinian.
Caballero, like Liverpool's Simon Mignolet, has shown perilously poor form at points throughout 2015/16, with a frustrating display between the sticks in City's 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Chelsea compounding his misery.
The 34-year-old's positional and organisational sense is seemingly lacking at this stage, spreading doubt throughout the City defence.
This is a criticism that can also be levelled at Mignolet, who has made the joint-most defensive errors of any player in the Premier League this season, with five.
In the build-up to City's trip to Wembley, Bleacher Report's Rob Pollard described Hart as "arguably the club's most consistent player this season," and this is what has driven the gulf between the Englishman and his goalkeeping rivals here—Hart is undoubtedly the more consistent option and a safe bet in goal for this XI.
RB: Bacary Sagna
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The theme of consistency runs through to our selection at right-back, with little to separate City's Bacary Sagna and Liverpool's £12.5 million summer signing Nathaniel Clyne.
Clyne's arrival on Merseyside has provided the Reds with a solution in what has long represented a problem area, with his defensive stability and attacking endeavour serving as a reliable outlet for Klopp's side at both ends of the pitch.
But what Clyne lacks, which Sagna doesn't, is a tangible output when driving forward. In 26 league appearances so far this season, Clyne has scored one goal, but he has so far failed to register an assist; Sagna has laid on three goals in 22 league games.
With Pablo Zabaleta struggling with injury throughout 2015/16, Sagna has comfortably dislodged the City veteran as Pellegrini's first-choice right-back, and this is a true marker of the Frenchman's quality.
There is little between Sagna and Clyne this season, but the ex-Arsenal man just edges it here.
CB: Nicolas Otamendi
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When it comes to selecting two centre-backs for our XI, based on this season's form, there are few genuinely reliable options.
Vincent Kompany has struggled with injuries, Eliaquim Mangala started strong but soon tailed off, Martin Skrtel has battled fitness and form, and while both Martin Demichelis and Kolo Toure have served as useful, experienced back-up options, neither has enjoyed a sustained level of form in 2015/16.
That the questionable Dejan Lovren represents a viable option in this selection is a testament to the paucity of class in both City and Liverpool's centre-back ranks this season.
But edging the Croatian to the first spot in our XI is City's big-money summer defensive signing, Nicolas Otamendi.
Otamendi has made more appearances than any other City centre-back this season, with 33, and while the 28-year-old can veer from sublime to substandard, his performances have reached an esteemed plateau at this point in the season.
An aggressive, front-footed centre-back, Otamendi looks set to justify his £32 million price tag in seasons to come.
CB: Mamadou Sakho
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It has been far from a stellar season for Mamadou Sakho, but when the Frenchman has performed well, he has shone as one of Liverpool's key players.
Like Otamendi, Sakho is a front-footed centre-back preferring to step out of defence to quell dangerous attacks rather sweep up loose balls and make last-ditch blocks—like his regular centre-back partner Skrtel.
Again, like Otamendi, Sakho is also a defender who is hugely comfortable in possession, and it is this well-rounded ability that has made him a key player under Klopp so far this season.
The only factors holding him back are his persistent injury issues, hampering his consistency in 2015/16.
LB: Aleksandar Kolarov
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That Aleksandar Kolarov has not been a regular for City in the latter stages of the League Cup is a testament to the left-back's standing under Pellegrini—having secured a key role in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League following a remarkable upturn in fortunes.
At the end of 2014/15, the Serbian looked likely to leave City, with Chris Wheeler of the Mail suggesting that he could be reunited with former manager Roberto Mancini at Inter Milan.
But having dislodged Gael Clichy for the spot as City's first-choice left-back, Kolarov has struck a rich vein of form.
Strong, powerful, defensively sound and hugely effective in the attacking third, Kolarov has scored twice and registered three assists in 31 appearances so far this season, and he provides Pellegrini with a reliable option in defence.
Unfortunately, this reliability is not something that can be attached to Liverpool's Alberto Moreno, who has impressed in patches throughout 2015/16 but endured a major dip in form following the turn of the year.
CM: Emre Can
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Much like at centre-back, when it comes to selecting a midfield unit in our XI, there are few viable options from either side.
Jordan Henderson's injury issues rule the Liverpool captain out of contention, while Yaya Toure's tightrope walk between lethargy and virtuosity has veered perilously closer to the former for much of this season.
Fernando's bit-part role under Pellegrini rules the Brazilian out, James Milner's switch to the right wing under Klopp highlights his lack of quality in a central role, and Lucas Leiva's inconsistency leaves the 29-year-old on the sidelines here, too.
One player who has shown his quality for much of 2015/16, however, is Emre Can.
Arguably, Klopp has overworked the German midfielder since arriving on Merseyside in October, and this has affected Can's performances somewhat, but Liverpool can still rely on his Yaya Toure-like blend of power and finesse in the middle of the park.
Only 22 years old, Can looks set to continue his development into a top-level midfielder under Klopp.
CM: Fernandinho
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The one central midfielder to truly shine this season is City's tenacious, box-to-box phenomenon, Fernandinho.
A sturdy, reliable option for the Citizens since his £30 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013, Fernandinho has produced a number of stunning performance this season, boosting his status to that of a key player at the Etihad Stadium.
One such display came in City's 4-0 win away to Aston Villa at the end of January, with B/R's Pollard labelling Fernandinho "City's best player all season" in a column for the Manchester Evening News:
"Fernandinho gave yet another wonderful display before being withdrawn for a well-earned rest.
He's been City's best player all season, and this performance can be filed alongside his finest.
The drive he provides is marvellous. No-one wins the ball with the same regularity as him, and he has the quality to carry it forward and create chances. He's top drawer.
"
In our XI, Fernandinho would complement Can's youthful exuberance perfectly, showcasing a more measured approach to his midfield play this season—this is paying off for Pellegrini, who has found a new linchpin.
RW: Roberto Firmino
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With De Bruyne injured, our right-sided attacking role goes to Liverpool's big-money summer signing, Roberto Firmino.
When Firmino arrived on Merseyside, the Brazilian captured the imaginations of the Anfield support, but this quickly dissolved into apathy, as the former Hoffenheim man was shunted into an unnatural wing-back role by Brendan Rodgers.
Restored to his favoured central position under Klopp, Firmino has underlined why the Reds were willing to pay £29 million for his services last summer.
Drifting throughout the attacking line, Firmino is a confident, versatile forward adept both on and off the ball, and he has proved key to Klopp's high-intensity pressing system.
Furthermore, with six goals and five assists in 10 appearances as a centre-forward, Firmino has shown his cutting edge, and while he is deployed on the right in our XI, his all-round quality should see him shine.
AM: Philippe Coutinho
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In any other season, David Silva would be the first name on the teamsheet in a combined Liverpool and City XI, but the Spaniard has battled a niggling ankle injury throughout 2015/16.
Struggling for form as a result—having only scored once and assisted on just two goals in 13 league appearances since his return at the end of November—he loses out to Liverpool's No. 10, Philippe Coutinho.
Meanwhile, before a disappointing injury of his own in January, Coutinho spent much of the campaign carrying Liverpool, with a number of impressive displays in a floating role in attack for both Rodgers and Klopp.
Central to Liverpool's 6-0 win away to Aston Villa earlier in February, Coutinho looks set to end the campaign on a high, with the prospect of the 23-year-old linking up with Firmino and Daniel Sturridge restoring hope to Anfield.
On ability, Silva would walk into our XI; on form, Coutinho edges into contention.
LW: Raheem Sterling
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Sunday's final will be a landmark occasion for Raheem Sterling, as he makes a return to his childhood battleground, Wembley, against the side that nurtured him into England's pre-eminent young talent, Liverpool.
Sterling's £49 million move to City last summer was drenched in acrimony, as the jeers from the travelling Kop during Liverpool's 4-1 win at the Etihad in November highlighted, but the 21-year-old is now well-placed to realise his potential.
Settling comfortably in his new surroundings this season, Sterling has made the left-sided attacking role his own, continuing to showcase the fine form that earned him his move, and helped propel Liverpool to an unexpected title charge in 2013/14.
A tour de force in City's 3-1 victory away to Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday night presented Sterling in a defiant mood, and Klopp will no doubt single him out as a key man on Sunday afternoon.
CF: Sergio Aguero
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Sky Sports have billed Sunday's final as Sergio Aguero vs. Daniel Sturridge, with the performances of City and Liverpool's star forwards likely central to their success at Wembley.
Both returning to full fitness ahead of this all-important clash, Aguero and Sturridge will contest an enthralling attacking contest, but writing in his column for the Mail this week, former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher highlighted the Argentinian as the more influential:
"Liverpool have spent almost £100 million on strikers since Luis Suarez joined Barcelona but none is able to hold a candle to Daniel at his best.
In fact, the only forward in the division who has an edge on him is Sergio Aguero, who will spearhead City’s attack at Wembley.
"
Once again this season, injuries have hampered Sturridge's progress, with the No. 15 having scored five goals in 10 appearances, while Aguero—who has battled fitness issues of his own—has netted 19 times in 27 games.
Due to the City man's consistency, Sturridge misses out on a place in our XI—but Liverpool supporters will be hoping he can outfire Aguero in a one-off bout on Sunday afternoon.
Statistics via Squawka.com and Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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