This season hasn’t exactly been extraordinary considering the standards set by these two clubs, but the meeting of Manchester United and Manchester City this weekend is still a massively important tie as both sides look to finish in the Champions League places.
Picking eleven players from the two sides based on merit would be a hugely difficult task to the naked eye, so the job will be left to the EA Sports Player Performance Index.
The PPI uses a number of factors to determine – and incrementally update – a player’s score for the season, and using that index this is how a combined Man United / Man City team would line up for the 2015/16 season so far.
And true to form, the team starts on the most controversial note possible…
Goalkeeper:
Joe Hart (Manchester City)
Appearances: 27 PPI Score: 289
Next in Line: David De Gea (Man United, 267)
Defenders:
Right Back: Bacary Sagna (Manchester City)
Appearances: 24 PPI Score: 350
Next In Line: Matteo Darmian (Man United, 194)
Left Back: Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City)
Appearances: 23 PPI Score: 315
Next in Line: Marcos Rojo (Man United, 120)
Centre Back: Daley Blind (Manchester United)
Appearances: 27 PPI Score: 360
Next in Line: Nicolas Otámendi (Man City, 268)
Centre Back: Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
Appearances: 26 PPI Score: 287
Next in Line: Vincent Kompany (Man City, 171)
Midfielders:
Centre Midfield: Yaya Touré (Manchester City)
Appearances: 25 PPI Score: 454
Next in Line: Morgan Schneiderlin (Man United, 249)
Centre Midfield: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Appearances: 26 PPI Score: 339
Next in Line: Michael Carrick (Man United, 196)
Right Wing: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Appearances: 19 PPI Score: 401
Next in Line: Jesús Navas (Man City, 280)
Attacking Midfield: Juan Mata (Manchester United)
Appearances: 29 PPI Score: 421
Next in Line: David Silva (Manchester City, 331)
Left Wing: Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Appearances: 23 PPI Score: 393
Next in Line: Raheem Sterling (Man City) 385
Striker:
Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
Appearances: 22 PPI Score: 536
Next in Line: Wayne Rooney (Man United, 384)
From the above scores, Manchester City have much the better of it – dominating the combined team with seven players compared to Man United’s four.
Louis van Gaal’s side dare not come away from the derby with a negative result – their pedestrian showing against Liverpool over two legs in the Europa League recently has seen the manager come under even more pressure, and a defeat on Sunday would be a massive hammer blow to their chances of appearing in next season’s Champions League.
Man City, meanwhile, need the win to salvage what is left of their fading title hopes. Having lost three of their last five Premier League games, just one more defeat will surely kill off what little hope there is left.
All PPI Index Scores correct as of 19/3/2015
Read More About: aleksandar kolarov, anthony martial, bacary sagna, chris smalling, daley blind, fernandinho, joe hart, Juan Mata, kevin de bruyne, louis van gaal, Man City, man city news, Man United, man united news, manuel pellegrini, Premier League, sergio aguero, Top Story, yaya toure
