Manchester United-Arsenal Premier League All-Time Combined XI

Manchester United versus Arsenal will stir special memories for Premier League fans of a certain age. The top two for a long time, this rivalry helped develop English football’s greatest product, propped up by the legendary management of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger when both clubs were at the peak of their powers.

While it’s not quite like that now, nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Both of these clubs have enjoyed a ridiculous amount of world-class talent. But who would make up a combined best XI? It’s time to fight (no pizza included).

No surprises here, despite David Seaman and David De Gea ranking amongst the Premier League’s best-ever goalkeepers. Peter Schmeichel is the greatest stopper the division has ever seen.

His imposing physical style and ability to close angles with his giant frame still has prospective keepers learning to ‘do the Schmeichel’ today. The Great Dane is a treble-winner whose time at United probably ended too soon. But that doesn’t take away from his legacy. Oh, and he could score goals, too.

Calling Gary Neville ‘reliable’ actually overlooks a lot of his qualities.

He was an excellent reader of the game and a fierce leader on the pitch. G. Nev’s consistency across two decades helped prop United up in their most successful era, and his relationship with David Beckham provided one of the most consistent ways forward for a Red Devils team that dominated the division during his career.

Sir Alex Ferguson rebuilt United multiple times during his tenure at Old Trafford, and Gary Neville remained for most of them. That’s evidence enough of his importance.

Few centre-backs possess the all-round game of Rio Ferdinand.

He was, in many ways, the precursor to what we’d now call the "modern defender." Pacey, able to drop off and sweep, brilliant in one-on-one duals and excellent on the ball. His partnership with the monstrous Nemanja Vidic is arguably held in higher regard than United’s 1999 centre-back pairing of Ronny Johnsen and Jaap Stam.

Ferdinand won it all and is the type of player United are desperately still trying to replace over a decade after he said goodbye.

You have to think Tony Adams and Ferdinand would have made a hell of a partnership. Adams’ directness and ability to physically impose himself would have worked brilliantly alongside Rio’s speed and reading of the game.

Adams was incredibly difficult to beat in the air and had a doggedness about his play that made him suffocate strikers with constant pressure. Wenger also developed his ability on the ball, allowing him to step forwards and create space for an Arsenal team that won two Premier League titles while he ruled as captain.

There were only two real contenders for this spot. Denis Irwin deserves a shoutout; few left-backs have ever been able to deliver the ball as consistently and accurately as United’s legendary Irishman. But I’ve opted for Ashley Cole, who at one point, could be pointed to as the best left-back in the world.

Cole’s years at Arsenal were defined by stepping forwards and linking up with Robert Pires. He provided width as Wenger introduced a sweeping attack, allowing Thierry Henry more space to get on the ball and often stick it in the back of the net. While his Gunners legacy may be muddied for his decision to join Chelsea, the fans’ adverse response largely boils down to losing such a great player.

Could you imagine playing against Patrick Vieira? How on earth would you plan to stop that long frame striding across the pitch and dictating play with his brilliant knack at linking defence and midfield? Arsenal’s greatest midfielder defined everything that made the Arsene Wenger era a success.

Vieira’s progressive play is often overlooked because he was such a tough competitor and hard tackler. Wenger stacked the team with players who would capitalise on his hard work and it’s fair to say, alongside the next midfielder on this list, Vieira led the charge in the greatest individual rivalry of the Premier League era.

Ah, Vieira’s nemesis. We’re in a time now where club rivalries are subsiding in England. We don’t tend to look ahead to matches thinking there’s personal antagonism on either side, unless you’re excited by Lisandro Martinez’s battle with…Adama Traore.

Keane and Vieira used to go for each other before the match even began, images of the United captain pointing his finger and shouting in the tunnel still played on nostalgic reruns to this day. The Irishman was an incredible ball-winner, a smart passer and a staunch executor of Sir Alex’s tactics. He pulled United through matches when they needed him, his display in the 1991 Champions League semi-final against Juventus still pointed to as one of the greatest midfield performances in history.

Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane have both called Paul Scholes the best midfielder of his generation. Xavi Hernandez said the United star was his role model.

Although he was criminally used by England (left wing?!), Scholes remains the gold standard of Premier League midfielders to this day. He wasn’t the biggest or the quickest. He famously couldn’t tackle. But my god, his passing range was invaluable to United.

Nobody in Premier League history can match his long-range distribution and consistent pinpoint accuracy when switching play. Scholes would play multiple applaud-winning passes per match without breaking sweat and had a penchant for spectacular goals at important times. A true great.

Cristiano Ronaldo is not the greatest Premier League player of all time, but he is the greatest player to have ever played in the Premier League. His time at United set everything in motion; all the titles at Real Madrid, all the Ballon d’Or wins, all the generation-defining success.

He did, of course, put together one of the best seasons in Premier League history during 2007-08 alongside Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, United’s last great attack. His 31 league goals that year led to numerous awards and a Champions League triumph. Plus, who could forget that free-kick against Portsmouth?

Every now and then a forward appears who changes everything. Wenger plucked Henry from Juventus at a time when he was a developing left winger. He developed him into the Premier League’s most unplayable forward. Henry’s highlight reel is absolutely unbelievable, his incisiveness and straight-up coolness simply unmatched.

Of course, Henry is rarely mentioned without Dennis Bergkamp. The technical ability of the pair should be considered the greatest forward partnership in the competition’s history. They brought the best out of each other and honestly, it was very difficult to choose between Bergkamp and the next person

It’s hard to think of a powerhouse youngster who burst into public consciousness with the ferociousness that Wayne Rooney did. His emphatic time at Everton led to a United transfer that was full of hype and completely justified by the time he retired.

Rooney is United’s all-time top scorer and, until Harry Kane came onto the scene, was England’s top scorer too. He’s often berated due to being stocky, but when he was fit, his power and explosive pace made him a unique prospect to deal with.

"Wazza" was also an incredible dribbler and scored possibly the best goal in Premier League history with his bicycle kick against Manchester City. Sorry, Dennis, but he’s got to go in.