While David Alaba has predominantly played at left-back and central defence in his career, he can slot into the midfield as well. The Austrian played at the base of midfield for his country on many an occasion.
Alaba has appeared in midfield in no less than 40 occasions for both Bayern Munich and Austria and is set to be at the base of this midfield. The two players Alaba will be anchoring the midfield for are Man City's master and apprentice duo David and Bernardo Silva.
The Spaniard and the Portuguese do bear a number of resemblances which extend beyond their same last name. They can work in tandem and help knit attacks to elegantly pick apart opposition defences. David Silva is one of the most successful foreign imports the Premier League has ever seen.
He would hope that Bernardo, having learnt from David for over three years now, could take over the mantle as City's left-footed wizard in midfield. The two Silvas form the creative hub of this team. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has risen to become one of the most lethal forwards in world football under Jurgen Klopp.
His searing pace, ball control, and composure in front of goal help him beat defenders and find the back of the net regularly. He is the ideal left-footed player to spearhead this attack.
Speaking of ball control and composure, Barcelona's majestic captain Lionel Messi takes up the right-hand side of the attack. The Argentine would perhaps be the first name on the teamsheet and could combine excellently with both Bernardo and Marcelo on the right flank.
His ability to cut in and find spaces in between the lines is unparalleled, and Salah could have a field day playing ahead of Messi. The year-old could drop deeper and allow the two forwards to converge ahead of him as well.
Messi's Barcelona teammate, Antoine Griezmann, rounds off this left-footed attack. The Frenchman can wreak havoc with Salah as a two-pronged strike force with Messi them. Alternatively, he could drop deeper and combine with David Silva and Robertson. This was the easiest position to pick. It is not often you find keepers who are good as well as entertaining.
Be it those crazy long balls, or his nonchalance on the ball under pressure or for that matter the charges outside the penalty area to stop counters, Ederson has been a pleasure to watch. The ManCity shot-stopper is one shy of a matches in the Premier League and the Brazilian has kept 45 clean sheets and has made a saves.
He plays the game with a bit of panache and we love that. Is it possible for a full- back to be impeccable both in attack and defense? Well if Andy Robertson is the name, then it is certainly possible. Since making his debut in the Premier League, Robertson has recorded 27 assists , a tally bettered by no other defender during that time.
It shows exactly why he is the best left back in the world, let alone in England. For all the stick Alonso gets for the defensive liabilities, he more than makes it up with his numbers going forward. Marcos Alonso has recorded 20 goals and 12 assists in his career.
A vast majority of those coming with his stint at Chelsea. In fact, since his return to the league in , no other defender has been involved in more goals than Alonso. At least, it gives the viewers a clear picture. To put it in numbers, Man City have lost 7 games in the league this season and Laporte has missed every single one of them.
Furthermore, City have kept 5 clean sheets in 7 games with the Frenchman in the side and 5 clean sheets in 22 games without him. In all Laporte has won 44 out his 51 league games. Those are mind-boggling numbers to say the least. Old fashioned. No nonsense. A warrior of sorts. These are some of the things that come to mind if we think of Jan Vertonghen.
Vertonghen has made appearances in his career, out of which he has won times. During this time, he has formed a formidable partnership with Toby Alderweireld- a pairing that will go down as one of the best in the history of the competition.
Matic is probably the most underrated player in this eleven. The former Chelsea man has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the last decade. He played a pivotal role in helping the Blues win the title in and And yet we do not give the Manchester United man the credit he deserves.
In this season too Matic has made a difference. Since GW 20, the Red Devils have kept 6 clean sheets in 10 matches. He has picked up both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe in both competitions, for best player in the tournament and top goal scorer in the tournament. He earned himself the nickname the "Volkswagen" due to him being German as well as his ability to consistently perform at the highest level. He found his greatest success playing in Italy for AC Milan, becoming one of the first German players to find success outside of Germany.
Throughout the decade he was considered the best left back in the world. Schnellinger scored 14 times in career appearances over his career, with of those appearances coming for Milan. The Dutch defender emerged as one of the greatest defenders not just of the s, but to ever play the game. Krol's versatility allowed him to play anywhere along the back four.
Krol spent most of his career with Ajax, helping them win eight league titles. Along with those titles came three European Cups. Krol was also capped 83 times by the Netherlands, the most by any player until the year He scored four times in his 83 appearances and helped the Dutch to World Cup finals in and , though they fell both times.
Di Stefano made a name for himself playing for Real Madrid in the s, where he helped the club achieve its dominance of the European Cup during the decade. He led Madrid to an astonishing five European Cups during his time there. Though he played as a forward, Di Stefano could play all over the pitch, and he spent countless amounts of time on the left side.
Di Stefano left his mark at the Bernabeu. He scored goals in appearances for Real Madrid. He is the second-highest goal scorer ever for Real Madrid and the fourth-highest goal scorer in all of Spain. Di Stefano also played for three different national teams. Originally, he suited up for Argentina, where he scored six goals in six matches. He then played in four matches for Colombia before joining the Spanish national team, for which he is the most famous. The Dutch forward started his career at Ajax, where he helped them win eight league titles and three European Cups.
Cruyff scored goals in appearances for Ajax before moving on to Barcelona for five seasons. He helped Barcelona win one La Liga tittle, while scoring 48 goals in appearances.
Cruyff's ability to play "Total Football" allowed him to move all over the field and take complete control of the game. He scored 33 goals in just 48 International appearances for the Dutch national team. In addition, Cruyff won the Ballon d'Or three times in his career, putting him jointly at the top of the list for most times winning the award. Ferenc Puskas was one of the greatest goal scorers to ever live. He scored 84 goals in just 85 international appearances.
At the club level, he was just as deadly. He first played for the Hungarian club Kispest. In appearances for Kispest, Puskas scored an astonishing goals. When his club career finally came to an end, Puskas had scored goals in appearances. He was also an Olympic champion with Hungary in Ozil is quickly solidifying himself as one of the best midfielders in the world, and he continues to star in a Real Madrid team full of stars.
While he is not an out-and-out goal scorer, Ozil brings much more to the table as a complete midfielder who beautifully fits the Real Madrid style of play. Ozil was thrust into international attention during the World Cup in South Africa, where he starred for Germany. He scored a beautiful volley from the top of the box in Germany's final group game against Ghana, ensuring that Germany would advance to the knockout rounds.
At the end of the tournament, he was one of 10 nominees for the Golden Ball, given to the best player of the tournament. The scary thing about Ozil is that at just 22 years old, there is still a lot of room for him to improve. David Silva is quickly emerging as one of, if not the best, left winger in the world. He has been a member of the senior Spanish national team since he was 20 years old and has been influential in the team's success in recent tournaments.
Silva was tremendous in Euro , helping Spain capture their first major tournament. Just a few years later, Silva was involved in a big money move to Manchester; however, he joined the Blue of Manchester City. This season Silva has picked up his play even more. In his playmaking role behind Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko, Silva is one of the major reasons for City's unbeaten and dominating start.
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