The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool continues this weekend and it is a game which rarely disappoints.
Ahead of the latest instalment, NetBet has made a bold decision and picked an all-time Premier League (1992-93 onwards) XI made up of players who starred for either club.
Read on for our picks…
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel
It was so, so hard to pick between Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar and Alisson Becker, but we eventually sided with the Great Dane.
Schmeichel is widely regarded as the Premier League’s greatest ever goalkeeper and was a key figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant United teams of the 1990s.
His giant figure made the goal look small and many forwards saw their goal-bound efforts somehow clawed away by the man mountain, who tallied 180 clean sheets for the Red Devils.
Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Omitting a serial trophy winner and fantastic footballer in Gary Neville may seem harsh, but Alexander-Arnold is a bit of an anomaly.
Perhaps the finest creative full-back the Premier League has ever seen, the Liverpool local really is a special talent and may only get better as time passes by – which is a scary prospect for opposing teams.
He already has over 55 assists in the English top flight at the age of just 26, which is quite frankly staggering for a defender.
Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk
The man who arguably changed everything in the Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield.
Van Dijk’s arrival from Southampton transformed the whole complexion of Liverpool’s defence, which is why they went on to win Champions League and Premier League titles.
Still at the peak of his powers, the Dutchman will go down as one of the game’s greatest ever centre-backs, the perfect combination of leadership, solidity, calmness and quality.
Centre-back: Nemanja Vidic
It was out of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand for the second centre-back spot in our XI – and the former just about edges ahead of his ex-defensive partner.
The Serbian colossus was almost an immovable object at the heart of United’s defence during his peak years.
Vidic was named the Premier League Player of the Season in both 2008-09 and 2010-11, which is a rare feat for a defender.
Left-back: Andrew Robertson
Again, another competitive area of the XI and we feel bad leaving out the likes of Denis Irwin and Patrice Evra.
But like Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, Robertson was so crucial to Liverpool’s dramatic improvement under Klopp, providing real impetus from the left-hand side.
At his peak, few wingers got past Robertson and few opposing full-backs could stop his marauding runs forward.
Centre-mid: Roy Keane
Keane is actually underrated in the present day, because he was so much more than just a midfield enforcer.
The Irish leader of men had one of the best first touches in the business and could glide past opponents at will after winning the ball back.
Keane also scored plenty of goals in a United shirt, the definition of a ‘complete midfielder’. The Red Devils have never really replaced their former captain, which is understandable as players like him do not come along often.
Centre-mid: Steven Gerrard
Another complete midfield package who ranks among the finest to have graced the Premier League stage.
A born leader with a tenacious attitude that dug Liverpool out of many holes, there was nothing Gerrard could not do on a football pitch, a rare trait for any professional player.
Gerrard finished his Premier League career with 120 goals and 92 assists to his name – and he is deservedly part of the division’s illustrious Hall of Fame.
Centre-mid: Paul Scholes
Scholes was perhaps not as complete as either Keane or Gerrard, but few in the history of the sport have been able to pass a football better than him.
The ginger-haired maestro was a force to be reckoned with and it is a crying shame that England wasted his talent by shoehorning him in on the left-hand side of midfield.
Eleven-time Premier League winner Scholes scored 107 goals in the division and was often the player who glued Ferguson’s best United teams together – which is praise of the highest order.
Right-wing: Mohamed Salah
The greatest right winger in Premier League history and his place in this team simply cannot be disputed.
Salah’s spell at Liverpool, which of course is still ongoing, is the stuff of legend and his goal record is quite frightening.
Three Golden Boots as a wide forward is pretty special and the Egyptian’s legendary status on Merseyside was secured years ago.
Striker: Wayne Rooney
We could not leave United’s record goalscorer out, could we?
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Fernando Torres were each nominees for this spot in the XI, but Rooney’s legacy with the Red Devils simply could not be ignored and earned him the spot.
Rooney scored 183 goals in 393 Premier League appearances for United and the fact he was able to dovetail as a midfield creator highlights just how great he was. A true legend of the English game.
Left-wing: Cristiano Ronaldo
The last player to win the Ballon d’Or playing for a Premier League club, which is why Ronaldo gets the nod over Ryan Giggs and Sadio Mane.
His first spell at United under Ferguson’s guidance was frightening and he famously scored 31 goals in the 2007-08 campaign, which equalled the record in a 38-game campaign at the time.
Ronaldo was pretty decent in 2021-22 when he returned to Old Trafford and while his Red Devils spell ended acrimoniously, he is among the greatest to have stepped out in the Premier League arena.
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