Liverpool and their fiercest rivals beyond the banks of the River Mersey are set to clash once again in the Northwest Derby on Sunday, as the Reds take on the Red Devils for the 68th time in the Premier League era.
Old Trafford has been a playground for Liverpool in recent years, but given the resurgent form of Man U and a struggling group under Arne Slot this season, it's set to be a razor thin contest that could very well determine who owns possession of third place by the conclusion of the weekend.
Neither of these sides has a trophy left to play for this season, but when they meet, pride is always on the line—along with the push to move closer to securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
So, as Liverpool look to avenge their defeat at Anfield earlier in the campaign, which players, based on their full body of work this season alone, even if not fit for Sunday, make it into a combined Starting XI?
Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Senne Lammens has been a much-welcomed addition to this Manchester United side, keeping six clean sheets in 28 appearances following the highly inconsistent play of André Onana.
But if I were building a Starting XI for one match rather than constructing a team for the long-term future from scratch, I’d still opt for Alisson’s experience—especially given it looks like the Brazilian still has plenty left in his career.
Beyond his veteran presence and what I still view as superior shot-stopping ability, Alisson remains one of the very best in terms of distribution, even if he’s had a few shaky moments this season. He’s posted stronger numbers in overall pass completion (80 percent to Lammens’ 59) and long-ball success rate (40 percent to 34).
Again, Lammens has proven to be a significant upgrade for United, but I’d still take Liverpool’s longtime No. 1 to guard the goal.
Center backs: Virgil van Dijk and Harry Maguire
Don’t let narratives fool you: yes, this has been something of a down year for Virgil van Dijk, but he remains among the Premier League’s, and the world’s, very best defenders.
Even if it hasn’t always felt like it, VVD still leads the league in total passes (2,499), aerial duels won (148), and clearances (286), while also chipping in with four goals and appearing in every match.
His availability and ability to dominate games have remained evident, despite Liverpool’s inconsistent form as a team.
Meanwhile, given Ibrahima Konaté’s highly sporadic form, and although both of Manchester United’s first-choice center-backs have struggled with fitness at different points this season, the nod here goes to former Red Devils captain Harry Maguire.
Much maligned for large stretches of his United career, Maguire has quietly turned things around in admirable fashion—winning just over 70 percent of his duels and even scoring what has become a famous winner at Anfield last time out.
Fullbacks: Milos Kerkez and Diogo Dalot
In what is likely the weakest combined positional group between these rivals, the choices are Kerkez and Dalot.
Veteran left-back Luke Shaw has been solid for United this season—also offering valuable availability with appearances in all 34 matches—but Kerkez has shown real flashes on both ends of the pitch, also ultimately outpacing Shaw in goal contributions (three to one).
On the right, while there’s a strong case for Conor Bradley, the position has been nothing short of a revolving door for Liverpool due to injuries.
That tips the balance toward United’s Portuguese full-back, who has chipped in with nearly 200 aerial duel wins and just under 175 interceptions.
Add us as a preferred source on Google