This Sunday, two of English football's fiercest rivals—Manchester United and Liverpool—clash at Old Trafford in a Premier League showdown with Champions League qualification on the line. Both teams have endured a season full of twists and turns, yet they've battled back to sit third and fourth in the table, separated by just three points. With so much at stake, we've put together a combined XI featuring the best fit and available players from both squads.

We're making a bold call right from the start. Alisson Becker has been one of the Premier League's finest goalkeepers over the past decade, consistently delivering world-class performances for Liverpool. However, injuries have become an increasing concern for the 33-year-old, and he won't even feature in this weekend's match. His understudy, Giorgi Mamardashvili, has struggled for consistency and is also sidelined. That opens the door for Manchester United's Senne Lammens, who has been a revelation since his summer arrival. Since his debut, only three teams have conceded fewer goals than United (35), and Lammens has yet to make a single error leading to a goal. It appears the Red Devils have finally found a reliable shot-stopper.

At right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold once had this spot locked down, but his move to Real Madrid leaves the position open. Enter Diogo Dalot, who has been a dependable presence for United this season, seamlessly switching between right and left full-back and wing-back roles. In central defense, Virgil van Dijk hasn't had his most vintage campaign—but that could be said for many of Liverpool's stars. Still, he remains one of the Premier League's elite centre-backs. Meanwhile, Harry Maguire's injury struggles have limited him to just 15 league appearances, but when fit, his experience and aerial dominance are hard to overlook.