The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea and Manchester United combined XI: Seven to four

By Olaoluwa Nwobodo

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 19: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United battles for possession with Reece James of Chelsea during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 19: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United battles for possession with Reece James of Chelsea during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alastair Grant/Pool via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 19: Tammy Abraham of Chelsea battles for possession with Harry Maguire of Manchester United during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Andy Rain/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 19: Tammy Abraham of Chelsea battles for possession with Harry Maguire of Manchester United during the FA Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on July 19, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Andy Rain/Pool via Getty Images) /

If Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to combine their XI’s, who makes the cut when they pool their resources?

It’s that time again. Chelsea travel to Old Trafford for the third time in Frank Lampard’s managerial career. The first one being a win, the second one being a 4-0 embarrassing loss. Lampard wants to make sure that this one is another win. Lampard has faced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer four times already in his managerial career and has only won once. That’s not what this is about though, to compare the competition between the two sides, we see how many players make it into a combined eleven. Here’s who we think get a look in. The two teams play a 4-2-3-1 so that’s the formation to go with.

Goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy (No. 16), Senegal

Mendy gets in even though he has only played one Premier League match in his career. He looked calm, communicated with his defenders well, did what he needed to do, and kept a clean sheet. David de Gea does not get in because he has been shaky in goal this season, same goes for Kepa Arrizabalaga. Mendy gives the calming presence that the two Spaniards do not. Mendy also does excellently well in plucking crosses out of the air. De Gea has conceded 12 goals this season, Arrizabalaga has conceded 6 and has already made 2 errors leading to goal, according to SofaScore.

Right back, Reece James (No. 24), England

James gets into this line-up over Aaron Wan Bissaka because James is not very far behind Wan Bissaka defensively and is way ahead of him offensively. James would provide more balance. The defensive and offensive sides of their game have to be taken into consideration because a fullback’s job means he’s equally involved in both sides of the game. Both players have one goal to their name this season, but James leads his counterpart in key passes per game 2.0 to 0.7 and James has created one big chance more than Wan Bissaka, per SofaScore.

Right centerback, Harry Maguire (No. 5), England

This is a difficult one, because there isn’t any centerback in either team one can objectively say has been excellent. That said, Maguire gets a spot because he’s Manchester United’s best centerback, as well as being marginally better than Chelsea’s centerbacks bar one. According to SofaScore, the England captain has a goal to his name, and has 4.8 long balls per game (56%), which is very good for a centerback. Maguire is not a fast athlete, so he’d need a faster, more active partner to cover him. He’s an aerial threat and has shown how dangerous he can be from set pieces time and again, including against Chelsea.

Left centerback, Kurt Zouma (No. 15), France

Zouma has had a shaky past two games, but even at that he has still been better than all of the other in question. Zouma is Chelsea’s best centerback and only aerial threat, even more so than Maguire, winning 100% of his aerial duels so far this season (4.0 per game). Zouma has two goals to his name already, and he has been a constant threat from corners for Chelsea. Of players who have played more than 90 minutes for either team, Zouma has the most clearances per game (5.5) as well as an impressive 6.3 accurate long balls per game (68%). Zouma also has something Maguire doesn’t: a clean sheet.

Left back, Ben Chilwell (No. 21), England

Chilwell’s place in this line-up is probably the most obvious. The English international has recorded 3.5 key passes per game for Chelsea in two games, has two assists, one goal and has also won 100% of his aerial duels (3.5 per game) this season. Chilwell was part of a defense that gave away a three goal lead against Southampton, but overall Chilwell will fulfil the defensive and offensive needs of this combined eleven, his contender is Luke Shaw. Shaw has recorded 0.8 key passes per game and 1.8 clearances per game. Shaw also has an own goal to his name, as well as conceding twelve goals in five games. He has no clean sheet so far.

Home/Premier League