Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford provide the goals, while Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes get the nod in midfield but Erik ten Hag’s new £50m man misses out… so who makes our Arsenal-Man United combined XI?

Arsenal and Manchester United face each other in an early season clash at the Emirates this Sunday, with both sides taking two wins from their first three games in the Premier League.

Despite these wins, both teams were unconvincing early on. Manchester United narrowly beat both Wolves and Nottingham Forest in the league, while Arsenal had to settle for a point against ten-man Fulham last time after narrow victories against Crystal Palace and Forest.

It should be an intriguing game, so early in the new season, Mikel Arteta and Erik Ten Hag are still tinkering with the staff ahead of the series of matches that follow.

Manchester United will have new faces in the venue for this match, with Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and left back Sergio Reguilon being hired from Fiorentina and Tottenham respectively.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were quiet on deadline day after a busy summer, with Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel both staying at the club despite being linked with a departure from the Emirates.

Ahead of Sunday afternoon’s kickoff, Mail Sport named our combined XI from the two big hitters – but who made it to our lineup?

GK–Aaron Ramsdale

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale gets the nod and beats Andre Onana, who has just signed for Manchester United and looked nervous early on in England.

With 37 clean sheets in his Premier League career to date, the 25-year-old has come into his own since joining Arsenal from Sheffield United in the summer of 2021.

Despite the Gunners recently signing former Brentford goalkeeper David Raya to add reinforcements, Ramsdale’s spot in goal with Mikel Arteta’s men looks increasingly solid. Onana still has a lot to prove after he replaces David de Gea.

CB – Lisandro Martinez

Manchester United’s optimistic centre-back Lisandro Martinez fills the side’s first center-back position, with the former Ajax star playing the lead at Old Trafford.

Martinez’s sustained energy and aggression in defense have earned him much praise in the Red Devils shirt so far. He defeated players like Ben White to claim his joint line-up.

His presence in Sunday’s game could prove crucial as defensive partner Raphael Varane is sidelined with an injury.

CB – William Saliba

William Saliba was once considered a player on the periphery of the Emirates and is now one of the first names on Mikel Arteta’s Gunners squad roster.

Saliba learned from loan experiences in his native France and grew into a footballer and defender.

He hasn’t looked back since starting for Arsenal last season and even scoring three goals for the Gunners.

He also contributed to 12 clean sheets from 30 top-class starts, cementing his spot in the combined 11.

LB – Oleksandr Zinchenko

Former Manchester City player Zinchenko takes up the left-back position here, the Ukrainian defender will be keen to see Arsenal take three points against his old nemesis on Sunday.

Zinchenko’s previous reputation with the Premier League champions was reflected last season on the Gunners, Mikel Arteta’s men in pole position for the top-flight title before normality resumed at Pep Guardiola’s City.

The Arsenal number 35, who has only come off the bench this season, continues to play a key role thanks to the departure of Kieran Tierney to Real Sociedad on loan.

RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Formerly Player of the Year at his previous club at Crystal Palace, Aaron Wan-Bissaka fits right back in this squad.

Winning 74 of the 153 Premier League appearances he has made to date, the three games he has played so far this season indicate he is hugely regarded by Dutch head coach Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United.

He is also a threat as a plundering, fast fullback. He is also adept at doing the dirty work in defense and suppressing opposition attackers who try to overpower him.

CM – Declan Rice

Arsenal’s brand new £105 million man will start in midfield and play a more defensive role in the center of the park.

Beating the Brazilian Manchester United presenter with Casemiro, who has looked vulnerable in the first few weeks of this Premier League season, it will be intriguing to see if Rice can maintain his West Ham level following his move to North London.

Early indicators show Rice will continue to go from strength to strength in the Emirates, having played all three games for his new employers so far and being impressive.

CM – Bruno Fernandes

Bringing a creative spark to complement Rice’s more persistent approach, Bruno Fernandes is the Red Devils favorite in midfield.

The Portuguese attacking midfielder has scored 45 goals and assisted 34 goals during his 127-match stay with Manchester United to date, and is always reliable when the clock is ticking and his team needs a late goal.

Erik Ten Hag’s men recently needed some magic from Fernandes against Nottingham Forest. 28-year-old midfielder Casemiro put the score at 2-2 before a penalty late on coolly tucked away by Fernandes himself won the game 3-2. .

That’s why Fernandes’ position is so secure in Manchester United’s starting line-up, three years after coming to English football from Lisbon.

CM – Martin Odegaard

Odegaard adds some flair to this combined eleven, with Arsenal’s Norwegian maestro living up to expectations as the second best he’s amassed at Real Madrid in the Emirates.

The 24-year-old scored 15 goals for Mikel Arteta’s men last season and the 24-year-old’s ability to turn up with a superb goal means he is as important as the likes of Buyako Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, who are just down the road. play in the field.

His passing range and intricate footwork on the ball are also impressive, with a total of twelve assists in an Arsenal shirt.

It has even led to Mikel Arteta giving the young midfielder the captain’s armband, an inspired choice by the Spanish head coach.

RW – Bukayo Saka

The first attacking option in this 4-3-3 formation should be Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal golden boy continuing to deliver for the club he has been with since he was seven.

Saka scored double figures for two seasons in a row in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns, scoring a total of 25 goals. Saka already has two to his name from a handful of matches this season.

One such goal came on the opening day, when Saka scored an early season contender’s goal against Nottingham Forest.

The 21-year-old scored Arsenal’s second of the game after Eddie Nketiah scored, with Saliba gifting the dynamic winger the ball before Saka shrugged off the minimal Forest mark and smashed a fierce long range effort past ex Gunners keeper Matt Turner.

LW – Gabriel Martinelli

Starting in this combined eleven is Saka’s companion on the opposing flank, Gabriel Martinelli, another young star at Arsenal who continues to impress.

Both Saka and Martinelli soften the blow of Gabriel Jesus’ ongoing injury woes, making up for goals lost to the ex-Manchester City striker’s absence.

Martinelli scored 15 goals from the flank for the Gunners last season, but the 22-year-old went goalless in his first three starts of the new season.

Still, he guarantees a place in this combined line-up.

ST Marcus Rashford

Due to the injury problems Jesus suffered during his time with the Emirates, Rashford plays an impromptu striker role in this combined side, with the front three operating as a roving trio.

Under Ten Hag he usually operates as a winger, but his effectiveness does not diminish when he starts as a more traditional striker.

He started 133 games at centre-forward over more than 300 games at Old Trafford, scoring 50 goals.

Although Arsenal and Manchester United offer Eddie Nketiah and Anthony Martial as more outright forwards, Rashford thus gets the nod to complement the combined eleven as a striker.