Liverpool vs. Man United: Salah or Ronaldo? Trent or Neville? Van Dijk or Vidic? Who makes our combined XI from Premier League era?

Ahead of Sunday’s showdown between Liverpool and Manchester United, Sports Mole selects the strongest combined XI from both clubs throughout the Premier League era.

The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United remains arguably the fiercest in English football, with proximity both in terms of success and geography fuelling a fixture that is a must-see for millions around the world twice a season.

Liverpool fans often point to their six European Cups as evidence of supremacy over their bitterest of enemies, while Man United hold the domestic bragging rights with 20 top-flight titles to Liverpool’s 19.

Arne Slot’s side are in pole position to equal that haul of top-flight crowns this season, though, and could take another stride towards a record-equalling 20th title when Ruben Amorim’s crisis-ridden United side make the trip to Anfield on Sunday.

Both clubs have enjoyed eras of near-total dominance over the English game too, with the Reds establishing themselves as the eminent force in the 1970s and 1980s especially, before Man United knocked them off their perch in the 1990s and 2000s.

Certainly, in the Premier League era it has been a one-sided tale of domestic success, with Man United boasting 13 titles to Liverpool’s one, although in recent years it is the Merseysiders who have got the better of the red half of Manchester more often than not.

There has arguably never been a greater gulf between the two sides as there is heading into this weekend’s game either, with Liverpool racing clear at the top while Man United are self-confessed relegation candidates this season.

Both clubs can boast some of the most notable and legendary names of the Premier League era, and ahead of Sunday’s latest chapter of this storied rivalry between English football’s two most successful clubs, we have taken on the task of curating a best-ever combined XI since 1992.

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel

There were many reasons behind United’s dominance of the Premier League throughout the 1990s, but the presence of Peter Schmeichel in goal was one of the biggest.

The great Dane cost the Red Devils just £505,000 in 1991 and left eight years later as a five-time title winner and having made 292 Premier League appearances for the club. Schmeichel remains the only goalkeeper to win the Premier League Player of the Season award and was also named in the first ever Premier League PFA Team of the Year.

Honourable mentions: Alisson Becker, David de Gea, Edwin van der Sar, Pepe Reina

Right-back: Gary Neville

Another stalwart from United’s all-conquering 90s team and beyond, Gary Neville played for United his entire career and finally hung up his boots in 2011 after exactly 400 Premier League appearances for the club.

The 85-time England international helped himself to eight top-flight titles in that time, being named in the PFA Team of the Year on five separate occasions including three in a row between 1996 and 1999.

Neville himself may well put the supremely-talented Trent Alexander-Arnold above him in the pecking order for this team, but the Man United man’s record of successful keeps him just ahead for now.

Honourable mentions: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Markus Babbel

Centre-backs: Rio Ferdinand, Virgil van Dijk

Two of the very best, and arguably the two most complete, centre-backs to ever grace the Premier League make up our partnership for this team, with Rio Ferdinand and Virgil van Dijk offering a very firm foundation for those in front of them.

Ferdinand turned out 455 times for Man United between 2002 and 2014, including 312 Premier League outings, proving to be one of the cornerstones of another of Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering teams.

The former England international helped the Red Devils to six Premier League titles in that time, as well as winning two League Cups, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Ferdinand was named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year five times as a Man United player – six times in total – and is an inductee to the English Football and the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Van Dijk’s trophy cabinet is not quite as full, but the Dutch colossus has arguably reached a level that no other Premier League centre-back has ever managed.

Since joining in 2018, Van Dijk has made more than 200 Premier League appearances for Liverpool and has been named in the PFA Team of the Year four times.

The former Celtic and Southampton man was also voted the Premier League and PFA Players’ Player of the Year for 2018-19, becoming the first outright defender to win the latter award for 13 years.

Honourable mentions: Nemanja Vidic, Jaap Stam, Jamie Carragher, Steve Bruce, Sami Hyypia, Gary Pallister

Left-back: Denis Irwin

Mr Dependable throughout his 12 seasons with United, Denis Irwin was equally adept at right or left-back and made almost 300 appearances for the club in the Premier League, having joined them before the new era began.

Also a set-piece specialist, Irwin won seven Premier League titles and was named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, providing an essential but often underrated presence at full-back during a period of utter dominance from Man United.

Honourable mentions: Andrew Robertson, Patrice Evra, John Arne Riise

Central midfield: Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane

United’s haul of 13 Premier League titles to one for Liverpool means that many close calls in this XI go the way of the Red Devils, but Steven Gerrard’s ability made him impossible to leave out even if his trophy cabinet does not compare to many of those from Old Trafford.

Voted to the PFA Team of the Year a record eight times, the talismanic skipper also won the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year (twice) awards during his illustrious 17-year stay in the Premier League with Liverpool.

When Gerrard finally called time on his Anfield career he left having scored 120 goals in 504 Premier League appearances, firmly establishing himself as one of the greatest players the competition has ever seen.

Roy Keane can also fit into that category, and it is difficult to imagine a more fearsome and accomplished midfield duo from the Premier League era. Keane helped United to seven league titles in a period of 10 years, with four of those coming as captain.

Indeed, the outspoken Irishman left as United’s most decorated captain of all time, while on an individual level he was named in the PFA Team of the Year five times and won the PFA Player and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in 2000.

Honourable mentions: Xabi Alonso, Nicky Butt, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Michael Carrick, Dietmar Hamann, Javier Mascherano

Right wing: Mohamed Salah

There would not be many arguments with the suggestion that Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest player to have ever played in the Premier League, but based solely on their careers in England, Mohamed Salah has now overtaken even the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

The Egyptian King wasted no time in establishing himself as Liverpool’s main man, setting a new Premier League record for most goals scored in a 38-game campaign during his debut season when he plundered 32.

Salah has gone on to be Liverpool’s leading scorer in every season since, and at the time of writing sits eighth on the all-time Premier League goalscorers list, with Arsenal icon Thierry Henry only narrowly ahead of him.

The prolific winger is not all about goals, though – he also sits in the top 10 for most assists in the competition’s history and is closing in on the top five for most overall goal involvements.

A two-time PFA Players’ and FWA Footballer of the Year, three-time Golden Boot winner and three-time inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year, Salah has already broken records galore during a 2024-25 campaign which looks destined to end in yet more individual and team awards.

Now regarded as one of the very best Premier League players of all time, Salah also boasts an incredible record in this particular fixture, scoring more goals and registering more goal involvements against Man United than any other player in the competition’s history.

Honourable mentions: Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham

Attacking midfield: Paul Scholes

Even Ronaldo was mesmerised by the passing ability of Paul Scholes, who remains one of the most revered players by former teammates and other ex-pros.

A one-club man, Scholes ended his career in 2013 just one game short of 500 in the Premier League, during which time he scored 107 goals.

Only one player has won more Premier League titles than Scholes’s tally of 11 in 19 years, although the suggestion that he was not always fully appreciated during his playing career is backed up by a lack of individual awards and the fact that he was only named in the PFA Team of the Year twice.

Honourable mentions: Eric Cantona, Bruno Fernandes, Philippe Coutinho

Left-wing: Ryan Giggs

The ultimate advert for longevity in the Premier League era, Ryan Giggs signed his first professional contract at United in 1990 and played his 963rd and final game for the club 24 years later.

The Welsh wing wizard made 632 of those appearances in the Premier League, scoring 109 goals and creating a record 162 more as he outlasted even Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Giggs was at the club for all 13 of their Premier League title successes – Liverpool and United are the only clubs to have won more titles in English football history than Giggs alone – and he was named in the PFA Team of the Year on six occasions.

Honourable mentions: Sadio Mane, Steve McManaman, Marcus Rashford

Centre-forward: Wayne Rooney

Some of the greatest players in Premier League history are competing for a solitary striking role in this team, but for all of their brilliance none have the same mix of longevity, success and goalscoring prowess as Wayne Rooney.

One of only three players to have scored more than 200 goals in the competition, 183 of those came in 393 games for Manchester United.

Rooney has also scored more away goals than any other player in the Premier League era (94) and boasts 12 seasons in which he reached double figures in the competition – another record.

A five-time title winner, United’s all-time leading scorer was named in the PFA Team of the Year three times and won a host of individual awards, including the PFA Players’ Player, PFA Young Player, PFA Fans’ Player, FWA Footballer and Premier League Player of the Season crowns.

Honourable mentions: Robbie Fowler, Luis Suarez, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Andy Cole, Fernando Torres, Dwight Yorke, Michael Owen, Roberto Firmino, Robin van Persie, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Sports Mole’s Liverpool vs. Man United Premier League combined XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Ferdinand, Van Dijk, Irwin; Gerrard, Keane; Salah, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney

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