The standout fixture in the latest round of Premier League matches will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon as Manchester United welcome Tottenham Hotspur.
United have won their last three games in all competitions and will be looking to make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League ahead of the international break, having beaten Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2 last weekend.
Tottenham, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a thumping 7-2 win over Maccabi Haifa in the Europa League on Thursday, but they were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United in their last league game.
A return of four points from three matches has left Jose Mourinho's side in eighth spot in the table, while United have collected three points from their two encounters thus far to occupy 14th.
Some of the Premier League's biggest talents are expected to be on display here and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players available for the game.
There is an argument that David de Gea is no longer the best goalkeeper at United, with Dean Henderson performing impressively in his two appearances in the EFL Cup this season. De Gea will start between the sticks on Sunday, though, and he gets the nod over Tottenham's Hugo Lloris in this particular XI. Like De Gea, Lloris has been guilty of a mistake or two over the last 18 months and therefore the Frenchman just misses out.
There have been question marks over United's back four this season, with Victor Lindelof singled out by many. The Sweden international, unsurprisingly, misses out on a spot in this team but three players from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side make the defensive positions. Indeed, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is chosen ahead of Tottenham's Matt Doherty due to his superior defensive qualities, while Luke Shaw gets the nod over Ben Davies on the opposite side with the Englishman impressing for the Red Devils after the lockdown period.
Harry Maguire has also faced his fair share of criticism since arriving at Old Trafford, but it is difficult to leave the England international out of this XI as the alternatives are fairly limited. Davinson Sanchez is the only Tottenham player chosen at the back, with the Colombian edging out teammates Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld, while Eric Bailly is also just omitted despite his strong performance against Brighton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, which is bound to have given Solskjaer plenty to think about.
Further forward, Paul Pogba and Harry Winks are selected as a midfield two. Pogba is yet to hit full flow in the Premier League this season, but he came off the bench to score against Brighton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, and there is no question that he is one of the most talented midfielders in the Premier League. United will hope that the World Cup winner can inspire them on Sunday, but Winks is sure to have a key role for Spurs. The England international has gone from strength to strength since Mourinho's arrival in the latter stages of 2019, and it was a relatively straightforward decision to include him in this combined XI.
Son Heung-min would have been a certain starter on the left if he was fully fit, but there are question marks over whether the South Korean will be available, meaning that it is difficult to select him. Gareth Bale would also have been in with a serious chance of making the XI, but the Wales international is not yet fit.
As a result, Marcus Rashford lines up on the left, with the England international scoring a brilliant goal against Brighton in the Premier League last weekend. Rashford has now netted twice in four appearances this season and will be looking to build on his goal against the Seagulls on Sunday afternoon. Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, was an absolute certainty in this side, with the 26-year-old starring for United since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in January. The playmaker has also started this season in fine fashion, providing one goal and two assists in three appearances.
The spot on the right goes to another United player in the shape of Mason Greenwood, who is already off the mark in terms of goals this season. The 19-year-old struck 17 goals in all competitions at first-team level last season, including 10 in the league, and is undoubtedly one of the outstanding young players in world football, meaning that his selection over Lucas Moura will not come as a surprise.
Anthony Martial deserves huge praise for his performances and indeed goal return through the middle last season, but there was only ever going to be one name at the tip of the attack. Harry Kane has been in red-hot form for Spurs this term, scoring six times and providing six assists in seven appearances in all competitions. The 27-year-old appears to be fully over the injury that he suffered earlier this year, and he will be looking to inspire his side to three points in Manchester.
Matt Law
