Combined XI: Man United versus Chelsea – Who makes the team?

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The Peoples Person

·20 de septiembre de 2025

Combined XI: Man United versus Chelsea – Who makes the team?

Manchester United face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League clash at Old Trafford this evening.

Pressure is already building on Ruben Amorim just one month into the new campaign with the Red Devils languished in 14th in the table.

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Three defeats from the opening five matches, including the disastrous Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town on penalties, has not justified the promise the Portuguese coach delivered at the end of last season that the “good times were coming”.

Rather, the unrelenting nightmare which has engulfed the Theatre of Dreams has continued – but tonight’s match with the club’s west London rivals offers the perfect opportunity to steady the sinking ship and set it a new course for the rest of the season.

As a thought experiment to compare the two teams and their conflicting fortunes over the past year, The Peoples Person has compiled a ‘combined XI’ from the two squads. The purpose of this was to illustrate two contentions.

Firstly, that United’s team is far better than the results they are producing and Amorim must find the formula to achieve this; and, secondly, the Portuguese coach’s 3-4-2-1 system is not a good fit for the majority of the players at Old Trafford.

Let’s dive in – starting back to front.

Striker – Joao Pedro

Both clubs spent big on the centre-forward position – but only one option has impressed so far.

United secured RB Leipzig frontman Benjamin Sesko in a deal worth £74 million in total, while Chelsea signed Liam Delap – beating the Red Devils in the process – from Ipswich Town for £30m and Joao Pedro from Brighton for £60m.

Sesko has 0 goals from 5 appearances, though he is still getting up to speed at Old Trafford, and it is too early to judge a 22-year-old striker in a new league. Delap is also yet to break his duck at Stamford Bridge and suffered a serious hamstring injury earlier this month.

Pedro, by comparison, has two goals and three assists in four league appearances for the Blues, while scoring three in three as he helped propel his new side to the Club World Cup over the summer. His all-round play has also been excellent, often resembling more of a nine-and-a-half than an out-and-out striker.

Wingers – Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo

Again, both clubs spent big on wingers this summer, with Chelsea actually signing one from United after agreeing a £40m raid for Alejandro Garnacho.

But it’s the player who displaced Garnacho in Amorim’s team – Matheus Cunha – who is picked on the left, while fellow recruit Bryan Mbeumo is deployed on the right.

Chelsea have a selection of youngsters out wide with great potential, chiefly Estevao, the 18-year-old starlet already playing for Brazil, who is destined to be a brilliant right-winger. But Premier League experience and a proven track-record of goals gives the nod to the two United stars.

Midfield – Moises Caicedo, Bruno Fernandes and Cole Palmer

If Cole Palmer was played as a right-winger, as he often has throughout his career, he would get start ahead of Mbeumo. But the boyhood United fan is a number ten at Stamford Bridge – and that’s exactly where he plays in this team.

Interestingly, Bruno Fernandes would also just be favoured in that position if it was a direct competition, though both stars are outstanding attacking talismans for their respective teams.

But United’s captain’s work rate and ball progression abilities means he can play as a number eight – the role Amorim has redeployed him as this season. Fernandes remains a far better player than his namesake in west London – Enzo Fernandez – even with this positional shift.

But a midfield of Palmer and Fernandes requires a monster at defensive midfield to stabilise it and provide an anchor for this lopsided team. Enter Moises Caicedo, the best CDM in the league this season.

His competition for the role? Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte – the easiest pick so far by far.

Defence – Marc Cucurella, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Reece James

The defence is perhaps the area of the pitch with the most debate, outside of Reece James at right back.

The England international would unquestionably be one of the best fullbacks in Europe if he could stay fit, which he has this season, thus far. Noussair Mazraoui has been an excellent singing for United, while Diogo Dalot is a favourite of Amorim – but neither player comes close to matching the Chelsea captain.

Left back is more contentious given Luke Shaw’s level from previous seasons surpasses Marc Cucurella. But Shaw’s injuries have taken their toll and the 30-year-old is not even trusted to play as a wing-back by Amorim given the physical nature of the role.

Cucurella, by comparison, is trusted by Maresca and featured in every match for Spain as they won the European Championship last summer, marking Bukayo Saka out of the game in the final.

There are a wealth of centre-backs to choose from but Leny Yoro is the standout prospect.

The French starlet is already operating at a high level, combining outstanding physicality with technical ability, but the scope for further improvement is vast. There is a reason the 19-year-old defender was being chased by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain prior to this switch to Old Trafford.

Matthijs de Ligt is picked to start alongside his teammate, with Chelsea’s options – Levi Colwill Trevor Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana – all lacking the experience the United centre-back offers, having previously played for Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich. Colwill would come closest to displacing De Ligt, but the Dutchman gets the nod for now.

Goalkeepr – Senne Lammens

Undoubtedly the most controversial pick so far as Lammens – United’s 23-year-old goalkeeper signed from Royal Antwerp on deadline day – is yet to make a single Premier League appearance.

But Belgium U-21 international arrives at Old Trafford as one of Europe’s best prospects in goal. His statistics from last season speak for themselves, while his suitors in the summer, including Manchester City and Inter Milan, speak to his burgeoning reputation.

Chelsea’s number one, Robert Sanchez, has improved from his rough start at Stamford Bridge after arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion. But the Spaniard remains a shaky figure at times with substandard distribution.

It is a difficult sell to select an untested youngster (in goalkeeping years) over the more experienced option, however, and The Peoples Person accepts Sanchez may be the more logical pick.

But this choice is more a reflection of the sky-high potential United’s new star possesses than any comment on Sanchez’s currently ability. We are confident, as the season progresses, this pick will age like the finest of wines.

Formation – 4-2-3-1

Naturally, there may be riots in the streets if a 3-4-2-1 system is used here, given United’s struggles to adapt to the formation since Amorim’s arrival last November.

A 4-2-3-1 set-up suits this team with each player, outside of Cunha potentially, fitting perfectly into their respective roles – and even then, the 26-year-old Brazilian has played as a left-winger many times in his career before.

But the fact that six members of this combined XI reside in Manchester yet fit a 4-2-3-1 system speaks volumes as to United’s acute struggles over the past ten months. Adding in players like Sesko, Amad, Kobbie Mainoo, Shaw, Dorgu, Dalot and Mazraoui, to name but a few, who would also suit a 4-2-3-1 only compounds this issue.