Man City vs Man Utd this Sunday
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The Manchester derby may not have the bite that it once did or even that some other modern rivalries still have today - last season's 0-0 draw at Old Trafford was a tough watch. But there's plenty of reason to believe that this Sunday's encounter at the Etihad could be a thriller. There is a lot on the line. Pep Guardiola's juggernauts have already fallen six points behind Liverpool in the title race, whilst Ruben Amorim is under extreme pressure at Manchester United to start producing some results. All eyes will be on the Man United goalkeeping position - could Senne Lammens make his debut in a game of such magnitude? Meanwhile, in the other net, Gianluigi Donnarumma could make his Manchester City debut.
If the Red Devils take a hammering, which is certainly possible, Amorim's position could become untenable. If they can muster a shock it could be a springboard for the Portuguese boss. He did manage to pull off some decent results against the bigger teams last term, beating Arsenal and Man City. Between the two rivals, they can lay claim to 21 of 33 the Premier League titles won since 1992. Both sides have had an abundance of top stars, but which players make the most valuable all-time combined Man City/Man United XI? The Sky Blues dominate the line-up.
Most valuable all-time Man City & Man United combined XI
In between the sticks is former Man United goalkeeper David de Gea. The Spaniard reached a market value of €70 million back in 2018 when at Old Trafford. The defence, like the majority of the XI is dominated by Man City players. At right-back it's João Cancelo - the Portuguese defender had a market value of €70m back in 2022. Left-back goes to Josko Gvardiol, who reached a market value of €80m in 2023, but it has since dropped to €75m. The centre-half positions are occupied by Rúben Dias, who was worth €80m in 2023, and Aymeric Laporte, who had a market value of €75m back in 2019.
In midfield, Paul Pogba lines up with Rodri. The Frenchman reached a market value of €100m in 2019 when at Old Trafford, whilst the Spaniard was worth as much as €130m last year. In front of them is the creative force of Kevin De Bruyne, who reached a career-high market value of €150m in 2018. On the right-wing is Phil Foden, who was worth €150m in 2024 after winning the Premier League Player of the season award. On the left-wing is Raheem Sterling, who has experienced an almighty drop-off since leaving the Etihad but had a market value of €160m in 2019. Erling Haaland leads the line, with a market value of €200m last year.