Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Combined XI

RM: Dele vs. Kevin De Bruyne

This was probably the juiciest matchup in a combined THFC/MCFC XI, and working out formation differences and personnel differently, it’s entirely possible that both men could (and should) be included in a starting XI. However, for the purposes of the attacking players, it had to be narrowed down to just one.

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Dele is more than a fan favorite. Having gone from star-in-the-making to complete star if not last year then definitely this year, his midfield production has skyrocketed and made him one of Europe’s most coveted young players. With ten goals and two assists to his name this year, Dele has also completed 81% of his passes with a higher percentage of duels won than his counterpart.

Not to be entirely outdone, however, Kevin De Bruyne is still showing his class week in and week out, and though he has just two goals on the year it could be argued that had his finishing improved he would have a few more… But it hadn’t. Instead, De Bruyne has left his mark largely in the assist column with nine, but also has a higher percentage of successful take-ons, has created more chances, and completed more key passes by almost double.

Seeing as both have made 20 Premier League appearances this year, the fact that De Bruyne edges out Dele in so many categories means that he would likely win out this particular selection scrap. Should Dele be pitted against one of Toure, Silva, or the ineligible Fernandinho, the outcome might have been different. All that said, KDB wins this round.

Selection: Kevin De Bruyne