Manchester United 2008 vs Arsenal 2026 - Who makes a Combined XI? | OneFootball

Arsenal face Manchester United in the Premier League today in a fixture full of narrative.

In the background over the past week has been talk about justhow good this Arsenal team are. Mikel Arteta's men are the current leaders in the league and Champions League, breezing into the latter's knockout rounds after an impressive win at Inter Milan in midweek.

During his punditry forAmazon Prime, ex-Arsenal winger Theo Walcott took the opportunity to ask Wayne Rooney just how he felt Arteta's outfit compared to the multi-trophy winning Manchester United team he played in.

"Would your '08 team compete, well you would compete against this team, but how does it compare to your 2008 team? Which by the way, was probably the best team that I've ever played against. This [Arsenal] squad against that one," Walcott asked.

Without pausing for thought, Rooney responded: "We'd batter them."

Arsenal have been impressive enough this season, but Walcott's question certainly felt premature. The Gunners are yet to win a major honour, while Rooney's Red Devils side claimed three consecutive league titles and the 2008 Champions League.

There's no comparison in achievements, but what about player for player? We, briefly, deliberated who would make a hypothetical combined team.

Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar

David Raya has been a superb signing forArsenal, but the Spaniard is second-best to Edwin van der Sar in our Combined XI.

The veteran's arrival atManchester United was a masterstroke from Sir Alex Ferguson, who secured a long-sought successor to Peter Schmeichel.

The club's 2008 Champions League win, in which Van der Sar starred, saw him claim a second European crown, after success with Ajax in 1995.

Defence: Jurrien Timber, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra

Arsenal boast arguably Europe's best defence right now, but Manchester United's backline in 2008 was one of the best the Premier League has ever seen.

There's an argument that Jurrien Timber could dislodge Wes Brown at right-back, who started the 2008 Champions League final as Gary Neville struggled with injuries.

Otherwise, it'sManchester United dominance. In 2008-09, Manchester United set a world record by not conceding a league goal for 1,311 minutes.

Midfield: Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Declan Rice

We've added anotherArsenal option in our midfield trio, but even that feels like a toss-up.

Declan Rice is a leading candidate for the Footballer of the Year awards this season and has been outstanding in anArsenal shirt, but even his selection feels dubious over two-time Champions League winner Owen Hargreaves.

Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes start as non-negotiable.

Sorry,Arsenal fans, but this is as clear-cut as it comes. Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez might just be the best frontline in Premier League history.

Ronaldo scored 42 goals on route to the Ballon d'Or in 2008, the sort of production Mikel Arteta could only dream of from his current cast.