THE EMIRATES plays host to a Premier League blockbuster title clash on Sunday.Arsenal welcome Liverpool to North London hoping to cut the gap at the top to just two points.
Mikel Arteta hosts Jurgen Klopp on Sunday
Both sides have found form after the winter break, and have also welcomed back key men from injury in time for the season-defining bout.
Here, SunSport looks at who would make a combined starting XI from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool with everyone fit and available, based on current form.
GOALKEEPER – ALISSON
The Brazilian is one of, if not the best keeper in world football right now. Any team in Europe can only dream of having someone as consistent or efficient in their goal.
His seven clean sheets have helped Liverpool top the Prem pile and lose just once all season.
Yes, David Raya is a better footballing keeper, but Alisson does exactly what you buy a keeper to do – make saves and dominate the air.
LEFT-BACK – OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO
Liverpool have struggled for consistency with this position this campaign with Andy Robertson out injured and Joe Gomez stepping in and performing admirably.
Regardless, Oleksandr Zinchenko – for all the doubts over his defensive attributes – simply makes any team he plays in better, and Arsenal is no exception.
Inverted so much that he is basically a midfielder, he compliments the Gunners in possession and often starts attacks with his incisive passing.
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CENTRE-BACKS – WILLIAM SALIBA AND VIRGIL VAN DIJK
A tough call, this one. Both duos of William Saliba and Gabriel in the North London corner and Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate in the Merseyside corner have been impressive.
However, Saliba and Van Dijk are in a class of their own. Master and apprentice. Big, powerful, quick and never look flustered.
It will be interesting to see if they decide to mark each other from set-pieces come the weekend. Do not ask me to predict who comes out on top in the air on that one.
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Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk makes the cut with William Saliba at centre-backCredit: EPA
RIGHT-BACK – TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD
Ben White has not been his usual self recently. You can put that down to carrying an injury for the past few weeks, or starting the season at centre-back.
The Englishman is getting back up to speed, but until that happens you cannot look past Trent Alexander-Arnold, and the enigma that is where he actually looks best.
Northern Irish wonderkid Conor Bradley has kept him out the starting XI in the last few games and has been a sensation, but no one can do what Trent does on the ball, wherever that is on the pitch: Right-back, right wing, midfield – who cares? Just watch and enjoy.
Arsenal star Declan Rice makes a three-man midfieldCredit: Sunday Times
MIDFIELD – DECLAN RICE, MARTIN ODEGAARD AND DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI
There is an argument that Arsenal would not be in this title race by the skin of their teeth had it not been for Declan Rice thanks to his two injury-time winners against Manchester United and Luton Town already this season.
That £105million price tag appears too little week by week. He is a phenomenal player who covers grass and reads the game superbly. Arsenal are lucky to have him right now.
Martin Odegaard is majestic on the ball and can control a game with his big toe alone. The Norwegian has not been at his best this year but shown glimpses of getting back there.
Thomas Partey should be back in the Arsenal squad after a spell out with a thigh injury. Maybe he would sneak in to make it a Gunners full house had he played more games this year.
It is also harsh to leave out the likes of Harvey Elliott and Alexis Mac Allister, yet Dominik Szoboszlai has something about him that you cannot help but love, whether it is his long-range belters or the way he has adapted so quickly to life in the Prem.
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is a doubt ahead of the match with Arsenal
RIGHT WING – MOHAMED SALAH
Leaving out Bukayo Saka feels like a crime given his ability and general likeability, but the Three Lions star has been pretty tame off the right so far this campaign.
We could just cheat and put Mohamed Salah on the left to accommodate for Saka, but that would not be in the spirit of the game.
Salah has been magnificent yet again with 14 goals and eight assists in the league. He is a major doubt on Sunday after coming home early from the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, but he is the first name on this imaginary team sheet.
Darwin Nunez leads the attack as part of the combined XI
LEFT WING – LUIS DIAZ
The Gabriel Martinelli of last season would hop right into this spot, no questions asked. The Martinelli of this season is way behind on what is now expected of him.
Two goals in the dying moments of a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last month has not done enough to convince fans he is back to his best.
In comes Luiz Diaz then, a player who has been through the wringer on and off the field in recent times with injury and the kidnapping of his father in Colombia.
Through all of that, Diaz has four goals and two assists, but creates so much more with his pace and destruction with ball at feet.
Arsenal and Liverpool face off on Sunday at the Emirates
STRIKER – DARWIN NUNEZ
The choices for this spot are between Gabriel Jesus, who doesn’t shoot at goal enough, and Darwin Nunez, someone who probably shoots too much… and hits the woodwork too often.
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Nunez edges it, just. The chaos the Uruguayan brings to any game of football is mesmerising to watch at times, and now the goals are beginning to flow – two in his last two in the Prem.
Jesus is brilliant at lots of things – linking up play, holding the ball up, those one-twos on the edge of the box – just not scoring a reliable amount to drive you to the league title. More
