David James snubs two Liverpool superstars in controversial combined Man City XI
David James has named his combined Liverpool and Manchester City XI
David James has named a controversial combined Liverpool and Manchester City XI ahead of the crunch Premier League clash between the sides this Sunday.
The two teams face each other in what is expected to be a title-deciding game at the Etihad as just a single point separates them in the table.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp both boast star-studded squads, which makes choosing a combined team a difficult task. But James, who made more than 270 appearances for Liverpool, before representing City, has shared his XI - and he's made debatable calls on both Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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“I’ve put Alisson above Ederson based on the fact that Alisson has had more to do, " James told Genting Casino . "If you take into consideration how important Alisson has been in keeping clean sheets and stopping in the last few months, I think in the last few games Ederson’s kicked the ball over the halfway line twice.
"I’d have Robertson at left-back over Cancelo as he doesn’t shoot as much and therefore doesn’t give the ball away as much. I'd have Luis Dias and Virgil van Dijk.
"I'd go Kyle Walker and the reason being is that there's going to be a lot of space and he'll need to get back and defend. I love Trent Alexander-Arnold going forward and he's a decent defender, but I'd just edge Walker over him.
"I'll go with all of the City midfield, so Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in midfield. I'd go Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Luis Diaz up front, so no Mo Salah!
"But if you ask me again in half an hour, I'd probably say a completely different team!"
It's certainly a big call to not name Salah, given he's the Premier League's top goalscorer. While the Egyptian has struggled for form in recent weeks, there is no doubt he is a big-game player and would likely be the first name on any teamsheet.
Other big omissions include Joel Matip and Fabinho, who have also been key players for Liverpool as they battle on all fronts this season.