Combined XI: Man City v Chelsea (Premier League era)

Ahead of Man City's meeting with Chelsea at the Etihad this weekend, we have put together an all-time Premier League combined XI featuring players from two of English football's most successful teams in recent times.

Ederson or Petr Cech? David Silva or Eden Hazard? Erling Haaland or Didier Drogba? There are plenty of debates to be had between representatives of five-time Premier League winners Chelsea and seven-time champions City.

This is the final selection we've settled on, in a 4-3-1-2 formation:

GK: Petr Cech

Racking up four Premier League titles across his 11-year stint as Chelsea's number one between 2004 and 2015, Czech shot-stopper Petr Cech is undoubtedly one of the finest goalkeepers in the competition's history.

At 6ft 5in, Cech was a commanding presence in goal for the Blues with his stature and athleticism making him a difficult obstacle to beat, with the Chelsea icon having collected the most clean sheets in Premier League history with 202.

Also turning out for Arsenal between 2015 and 2019, it was during Cech's early years in England that he was at the peak of his powers, as the last line of defence in Chelsea's title-winning side of 2004/05 under Jose Mourinho which conceded only 15 goals and collected 24 clean sheets - both Premier League records.
 

RB: Kyle Walker

Arguably the most accomplished right-back in Premier League history, Kyle Walker has grown into a true stalwart for Manchester City since transferring from Tottenham in 2017.

Renowned for his sensational pace which allows him to get back and thwart attackers even after being beaten and pose a significant threat on the overlap going forward, Walker has accrued a remarkable five Premier League titles across seven seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
 

CB: John Terry

At the heart of the majority of Chelsea's finest Premier League successes, captaining his boyhood club to five league titles, John Terry goes down as one of the best defenders the division has ever seen.

A full-hearted, uncompromising central defender, Terry was a master at organising the defence around him and was also capable of chipping in with goals himself as the top scoring defender in Premier League history with a total of 41 to his name.
 

CB: Vincent Kompany

Vincent Kompany was another inspirational defender who was able to lead his team to great success in the Premier League, collecting four Premier League titles at Man City in an 11 year period between 2008 and 2019.

Signed by Mark Hughes from Hamburg in August 2008 just prior to Sheikh Mansour's landscape-changing takeover of the club, the charismatic Belgian centre-back Vincent Kompany became one of the central figures in City's elevation into one of the most successful teams in English football.

Dominant in the air and a leader in every sense of the word, Kompany was a feared defender who left everything out on the pitch every time he turned out for the Citizens.
 

LB: Ashley Cole

Arguably one of the best left-backs in football history, Ashley Cole was an outstanding player for Chelsea for eight years between 2008 and 2014 after making a controversial switch from London rivals Arsenal.

A terrific one-v-one defender who enjoyed success in individual battles against some of the world's top attacking players such as Cristiano Ronaldo on more than one occasion, Cole was also a class act in possession and capable of providing assists in the final third.
 

CM: Yaya Toure

Joining Man City from a breathtakingly good Barcelona side in 2010, Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure turned into one of the most dominant players in the Premier League during his eight year stay at the Etihad Stadium between 2010 and 2018.

A box-to-box midfielder with both incredible physical attributes and technical prowess, Toure picked up three Premier League winners' medals during his time at City.
 

CM: David Silva

Arriving from Valencia with a lofty reputation in 2010, Spanish playmaker David Silva more than delivered as a Man City player - as an an integral part of four Premier League-winning campaigns for the club.

A technically gifted genius, with the dribbling ability to bamboozle defenders and vision to spot defence-splitting passes, Silva was one of the most watchable players in the Premier League for the decade he graced the English game.
 

CM: Kevin De Bruyne

First participating in the Premier League as a Chelsea player, it was not until Belgian midfield dynamo Kevin De Bruyne joined Man City in 2015 that he truly started to take the Premier League by storm.

A footballer with phenomenal technical ability, as one of the best passers and crossers of the ball in the history of the Premier League, De Bruyne has been one of the best players in the country for a number of years now.

The king of assists and also the scorer of many an outstanding goal, De Bruyne has lifted the Premier League title on five occasions in City colours.
 

CAM: Frank Lampard

A member of a prestigious club of players to have hit over 100 Premier League goals, Frank Lampard's overall total of 177 sees him ranked sixth in the all-time standings.

A remarkable feat for a midfielder, Lampard was a master at timing late runs into the box and was a fantastic finisher with both feet.
 

ST: Sergio Aguero

The scorer of one of the most iconic goals in English football history - an injury-time winner against QPR to fire Man City to their first ever Premier League title in 2012 - Argentine striker Sergio Aguero was a phenomenon in sky blue over the course of a decade between 2011 and 2021.

With 184 goals in 275 appearances, Aguero boasts the best minute-per-goal ratio of all time in the Premier League, and won five titles during his stay in Manchester.
 

ST: Erling Haaland

Although Norwegian sensation Erling Haaland has not yet enjoyed the longevity in the Premier League of other players included in this combined XI, his astonishing debut season last term makes him difficult to leave out.

Taking English football by storm since arriving from Borussia Dortmund last summer, Haaland's record-breaking Premier League goals tally in a single season of 36 has seen him announce himself as one of the bonafide stars of world football over the past 12 months.