FA Cup 2022-23: Manchester City vs Manchester United Combined XI

Can ten Hag's men stop the Cityzens from winning the treble?

Ever since Erik Ten Hag joined Manchester United, he has brought back the good days to Old Trafford. After a bad start to the season, Manchester United have secured a top-four finish, they will compete in the Champions League next season. Manchester United ended their 6-year trophy drought when they defeated Newcastle United 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup in Wembley. The final battle was fought between Manchester United and Newcastle. 

After trailing for almost the entire season, Manchester City have won the Premier League title, breaking the hearts of Arsenal fans all around the world. This was Pep Guardiola's 5th Premier League title in six years, he has won it for the third straight year. After beating Real Madrid in the Champions League, they will look to win their first-ever Champions League title.

FA Cup final which is set to take place on 3 June, Wembley, everything is going to be at stake for both clubs. Pep's ball possession and Ten Hag's counter-attacking tactics will be put to the test this weekend. Manchester City are looking to win the treble this season and Manchester United are looking to stop them from doing that this season.

Both star-studded teams have impact players with the ability to make a difference in this huge clash. Let's look at how the combined XI would look like:

Formation: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper: Ederson (Manchester City)

Despite winning the Golden Glove in Premier League this season, David De Gea has not made it to the list. Manchester City's Ederson had a better season, he was pretty reliable between the posts, performing consistently every matchday.

Ederson has been the number 1 goalkeeper for Manchester City, helping them win three consecutive Premier League titles.

Left-back: Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Nathan Ake's absence has made our first pick, Luke Shaw, the England international called "Shawberto Carlos" has been exceptional post his injury. He has been performing consistently for both his club and country.

Luke Shaw, the first-choice left-back for Manchester United has been playing as a centre-back in recent times. Erik Ten Hag likes a left, right combination at the back, Martinez's injury has allowed Shaw to play alongside Raphael Varane.

Centre-back: Raphael Varane (Manchester United)

The former world cup winner, French International is one of the best at his position in the world right now. His experience of playing at the World Cup, Champions League has helped United succeed in many ways this season, his partnership with Lisandro Martinez at the back has been pivotal in the way they English club plays. Consistent performances along with his defensive presence and the ability to intercept the movement of strikers has been one of his strong attribute.

Centre-back: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)

At the heart of defense, Ruben Dias played a key role in City's success this season and clearly has been the reliable defender for Pep and his playing system. Portuguese for "Brick Wall" is Ruben Dias, his ability to block shots and take hits on his body has given him this name. He is recognized in Portugal for his outstanding Manchester City form this season.

Right-back: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

Since his time with Tottenham, he has been the fastest defender in the Premier League. His speed and agility allow him to cover the distance quickly, making it difficult for the strikers to beat him in pace. He has been rock-solid in the right-back slot over the past few seasons and is a better option in this position considering the inconsistent performances given by Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan Bissaka.

Centre-midfield: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

The Portuguese magnifico has taken a lot of burden off the shoulders of his manager and has been captaining the side ever since Harry Maguire was benched by the manager. The 28-year-old midfielder has averaged 51 passes per match, scoring 6 goals in the Premier League this season. He has featured in almost all the matches for the club this season.

Centre defensive-midfield: Casemiro (Manchester United)

Former Real Madrid player Casemiro signed a contract for the club last summer, he has been playing a deep-lying role since then for Manchester United. His ability to break counters, make interceptions, and box to box quality has strengthened the squad this season. He has scored some timely, important goals this season; one of them was against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final, his goal gave them the lead and eventually helping them lift a trophy after six years.

Centre-midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

Belgian international has been a standout performer in City's quest to bring the Premier League title back to the Etihad. He has scored 7 goals in the Premier League this season, he scored one of the best goals in the Champions League this season against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg. He has 16 assists to his name which ranks him at number 1 in the Premier League.

Right-wing: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)

Manchester City's versatile style of play has been inspired by the Portuguese wingman, he has made it to the squad over Mahrez, Antony because of the ability he possesses in the final third. He has been one of the most creative players from the right flank, scoring four goals and assisting four goals this Premier League season does not show the impact Bernardo Silva has in Pep's squad.

Striker: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

The "Robot" Norwegian striker has proved to everybody that is one of the future stars of the game. His signing has filled the missing number 9 position for Manchester City, this was a problem that was faced by Pep for a few seasons.

Since his arrival, he has been scoring goals like a maniac, he broke the record of the most goals scored in the Premier League' 38 match schedule. Overall, he has more than 50 goals for Manchester City this season, and has the chance to make it 3 trophies this season.

Left-wing: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Nobody has performed better after the World Cup than Marcus Rashford, his performances after the World Cup has impressed the fans, and pundits and has proved the haters wrong. He is the first players after Robin van Persie to score 20 plus goals for Manchester United in a single season. His pace at the left flank and the goal scoring capabilities have helped Manchester United finish third in the Premier League this season.