CHELSEA VS MAN UTD: COMBINED XI

Ahead of the crucial match between Chelsea and Manchester United on Saturday, we pick, in our opinion, the best combined team between the two clubs.

THE TEAM

Chelsea (6) - Man Utd (5)

THE DEFENDERS

In goal, David de Gea over Kepa, because the United 'keeper has shown himself to be a world class goalkeeper and has displayed it in the Premier League for many seasons.

Kepa has started the season very well, but he isn't at de Gea's level yet. De Gea has also won the Premier League Golden Glove before in the 2017-18 season, proving that he is a world class 'keeper. However, Kepa does have the potential.

In the back 4, as the left-back; Marcos Alonso over Luke Shaw. This was a very hard decision as both players have started the season very well.

The logic behind Alonso is just because of his attacking threat that he provides for the Chelsea team. He has scored more goals than Shaw. In terms of the defensive side of the game, both are suspect defensively.

As the two centre-backs, Antonio Rüdiger and Eric Bailly. Rüdiger as he has been a beast for Maurizio Sarri so far.

He has been excellent defensively since joining from Roma. The German defender makes it in ahead of David Luiz because the Brazilian perhaps lacks the defensive soundness of Rudiger.

The second centre back role, we have United's Bailly. It was a hard decision between Chris Smalling and Bailly.

Overall, the Ivorian is the better defender, undoubtedly - but Smalling's consistent start to the season made it a tougher call than first expected.

It's a shame that Bailly's confidence has been drained out of him by Jose Mourinho this season.

Phil Jones didn't even come into the question, with the other defenders clearly stronger than the English centre-back.

Finally for the defenders, the right-back position goes to Diogo Dalot over Antonio Valencia and Cesar Azpilicueta.

Dalot has had a bright start to his United career. Playing very well against Young Boys and providing an assist against Derby County in the Carabao Cup exit.

He has made United fans excited with his performances so far. Dalot beats Valencia in this because Valencia looks as if his best days are behind him now.

Azpilicueta didn't make the cut, with the Spaniard not impressing at right-back so far this season under his new boss.

It seems he's lost his pace and finds it harder in the attacking areas. Azpi has found it hard to change from a centre-back last season to a right-back this season.

THE MIDFIELDERS

Jorginho is to play in the deeper midfield role with his ability to control the tempo of a match from there, as he's shown so far with his short stint at the Blues.

The midfielder has broke multiple passing stats this season for Chelsea and is the key for 'Sarriball' to function properly.

The other two midfielders making the team are Paul Pogba and Ngolo Kante - the French stars.

Do I need to explain why?

The pair are world class, simple... Pogba can be one of the most threatening attacking threats in the Premier League, when he's on it.

Kante oozes consitency. With Kante, it is like having an extra player on the pitch, because of how much ground he covers each game for Chelsea. The midfield 3 wasn't hard to choose to be honest. It selected itself.

THE ATTACKERS

On the left wing, Eden Hazard of Chelsea - whose form recently has been borderline terrifying.

Anthony Martial also came into consideration for the position, but Hazard looks a different level to any player in the Premier League currently.

In the right wing position, based purely on form, Pedro over Willian or Jesse Lingard.

Pedro looks like a different player in this Sarri system, and some of his performances so far, have shown him to look like the player he was at Barcelona.

Willian didn't make the side with the Brazilian consistently being inconsistent.

Finally, in the striker role, I choose Romelu Lukaku over Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, just for the fact that he is a guaranteed 20+ Premier League goalscorer, and Morata and Giroud simply don't match those numbers.

Morata and Giroud have certain qualities like being able to link up play, but the main role of the striker is to score goals, and Lukaku scored more goals than the pair combined last season in the Premier League.

Now Lukaku does have flaws to his game like a sometimes poor first touch, and not being able to link up play as well as the other two, but he scores a lot of goals and that's why he made the team to play the striker role.