Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Official Player Ranking Index of the Premier League. Pick, manage and play as your own team of stars in EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team. Find out more at http://www.easports.com/uk/
Ahead of this weekend’s Manchester derby, statistics released by EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team have put paid to fan arguments across the country and revealed the best combined starting XI of the two clubs.
Much has been made of the supposed shift in power in Manchester and the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the official player rating index of the Barclays Premier League, has revealed that the blue half DO now have the edge. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index has taken data from both Manchester City and Manchester United and measured both sides’ players’ contribution to the success of the team using six key indices to calculate the best starting XI as…
Joe Hart
Rafael
Vincent Kompany
Martin Demichelis
Gael Clichy
Angel Di Maria
David Silva
Yaya Toure
James Milner
Sergio Aguero
Robin van Persie
There will be few surprised to see City stars Sergio Agüero and David Silva make the team. Agüero has scored nine goals in nine games for City this season while Silva has completed an incredible 384 passes in the opposition half. Their performances have kept out the likes of Ander Herrera and Wayne Rooney from the combined XI.
There are however, one or two surprise inclusions. The 2013 Manchester City Player of the Year and PFA Team of the Year right back, Pablo Zabaleta, is beaten to the side by United’s Brazilian right back Rafael da Silva, who has missed a third of the games in the league this season. There was speculation at the start of the season that he may not be in Louis Van Gaal’s plans, however Rafael has come back in to the team and performed well, earning himself a place in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index Manchester combined XI.
Disagree with the XI? Pick, manage and play as your own team of stars in EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team. Read on to find out more about the stats behind our choices…
GOALKEEPERS
Joe Hart has met with competition this season, with Malaga keeper Willy Caballero joining over the summer, however Hart has affirmed his place as the City number one, playing eight of the nine Premier League matches. De Gea, meanwhile, went in to this season with the guaranteed number one spot, and has repaid his manager’s faith with some impressive performances. It is Hart, however, who has pipped De Gea to the goalkeeping spot in the Manchester combined XI.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Number of goals conceded |
Saves |
Saves per goal conceded |
Overall PPI Score |
|
Joe Hart |
Manchester City |
8 |
8 |
18 |
2.25 |
83 |
|
David De Gea |
Manchester United |
9 |
13 |
18 |
1.38 |
82 |
RIGHT BACKS
Pablo Zabaleta was offered some competition for the right back spot at City this summer, as the club signed Arsenal fullback Bacary Sagna, however the World Cup finalist has played every game he has been fit and eligible for this season, and thus competes with Rafael for the right back spot in the combined XI. It is Rafael, who makes the team, possibly helped by the fact Zabaleta had points deducted after being sent off in the game against Chelsea.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Number of tackles won |
Number of tackles won as a percentage |
Clearances |
Successful Crosses |
Overall PPI Score |
|
Rafael |
Manchester United |
6 |
17 |
68% |
27 |
4 |
85 |
|
Pablo Zabaleta |
Manchester City |
6 |
17 |
68% |
13 |
2 |
71 |
CENTRE BACKS
The centre back position has provided a few problems for Manchester United this season and no fewer than seven players have played in the central defensive positions over the course of the first nine matches. Due to the inconsistency in the United back line, it is the City pair of Kompany and Demichelis who make the team. In the below table, defensive contributions is a combination of clearances, interceptions and blocks.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Number of tackles won |
Number of tackles won as a percentage |
Number of defensive contributions |
Overall PPI Score |
|
Vincent Kompany |
Manchester City |
9 |
16 |
67% |
62 |
100 |
|
Martin Demichelis |
Manchester City |
6 |
9 |
60% |
44 |
82 |
|
Marcus Rojo |
Manchester United |
6 |
14 |
78% |
61 |
67 |
|
Phil Jones |
Manchester United |
4 |
10 |
83% |
50 |
49 |
|
Eliaquim Mangala |
Manchester City |
4 |
11 |
73% |
32 |
47 |
|
Tyler Blackett |
Manchester United |
6 |
5 |
63% |
48 |
44 |
|
Chris Smalling |
Manchester United |
4 |
5 |
83% |
33 |
20 |
LEFT BACKS
The summer saw Manchester United let stalwart Patrice Evra depart the club and be replaced by England youngster Luke Shaw. = City already possessed Gael Clichy and Aleksander Kolarov, and both continue to battle for the left back spot, with Clichy spending 528 minutes on the pitch, in comparison to Kolarov’s 373, Clichy edges out the competitors for the left back role in the combined XI.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Number of tackles won |
Number of tackles won as a percentage |
Clearances |
Successful Crosses |
Overall PPI Score |
|
Gael Clichy |
Manchester City |
6 |
22 |
78% |
24 |
1 |
85 |
|
Aleksander Kolarov |
Manchester City |
6 |
6 |
60% |
9 |
8 |
61 |
|
Luke Shaw |
Manchester United |
4 |
10 |
91% |
14 |
3 |
48 |
CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Manchester City have a variety of players who can play in the midfield, both defensive and offensively. While many have said Yaya Toure has not been on top form, he makes the team due to his influence in the opposition half. David Silva has enjoyed playing the free role in attacking midfield this season and he ranks highest of any midfielder from the two Manchester sides. In the red half of the city, new signing Ander Herrera has looked impressive but has been unfortunate with injuries, while Daley Blind has also settled in well. More recently, Marouane Fellaini has had a good run of form, notably scoring against West Brom, however doesn’t challenge the main contenders yet, due to lack of games.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played
|
Pass completion rate |
Passes in opposition half
|
|
David Silva |
Manchester City |
9 |
85.8% |
384 |
|
Yaya Toure |
Manchester City |
8 |
91.5% |
413 |
|
Juan Mata |
Manchester United |
8 |
91.9% |
200 |
|
Ander Herrera |
Manchester United |
5 |
87.4% |
153 |
|
Daley Blind |
Manchester United |
6 |
88.7% |
179 |
|
Frank Lampard |
Manchester City |
5 |
83.8% |
42 |
|
Fernando |
Manchester City |
6 |
92.0% |
124 |
|
Fernandinho |
Manchester City |
8 |
88.9% |
181 |
|
Name |
Club |
Assists
|
Interceptions |
Overall PPI Score |
|
David Silva |
Manchester City |
2 |
6 |
182 |
|
Yaya Toure |
Manchester City |
0 |
1 |
114 |
|
Juan Mata |
Manchester United |
1 |
2 |
100 |
|
Ander Herrera |
Manchester United |
1 |
6 |
92 |
|
Daley Blind |
Manchester United |
0 |
19 |
88 |
|
Frank Lampard |
Manchester City |
2 |
3 |
68 |
|
Fernando |
Manchester City |
1 |
8 |
64 |
|
Fernandinho |
Manchester City |
1 |
16 |
61 |
WINGERS
The outstanding player for Manchester United this season has undoubtedly been the most expensive player in Premier League history, Angel Di Maria, who has kept the likes of Adnan Januzaj out of the side. At City, James Milner has enjoyed a mini renaissance that has ensured he is a firm fixture in the side. Milner is now consigning plenty of talent to the benchin our combined XI, such as Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Goals |
Assists |
Dribbles |
Percentage of dribbles completed |
|
Angel Di Maria |
Manchester United |
7 |
3 |
4 |
16 |
41% |
|
James Milner |
Manchester City |
7 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
82% |
|
Jesus Navas |
Manchester City |
8 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
78% |
|
Samir Nasri |
Manchester City |
4 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
75% |
|
Adnan Januzaj |
Manchester United |
7 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
50% |
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Crosses |
Percentage of crosses completed |
Overall PPI Score |
|
Angel Di Maria |
Manchester United |
7 |
10 |
16.9% |
181 |
|
James Milner |
Manchester City |
7 |
6 |
18.8% |
105 |
|
Jesus Navas |
Manchester City |
8 |
10 |
38.5% |
89 |
|
Samir Nasri |
Manchester City |
4 |
0 |
0% |
70 |
|
Adnan Januzaj |
Manchester United |
7 |
3 |
21.4% |
14 |
STRIKERS
Neither City nor United lack in firepower, and between both teams they possess six of the best strikers in the league. Aguero has been in sensational form this season and has the second highest PPI score in the league, only trailing Diego Costa. Robin van Persie earns the second spot in the side ahead of Dzeko, Falcao, Rooney and Jovetic.
|
Name |
Club |
Number of games played |
Goals |
Minutes per goal |
Shots on target |
Shots on target as a percentage |
Overall PPI score |
|
Sergio Agüero |
Manchester City |
9 |
9 |
69 |
22 |
64.7% |
283 |
|
Robin van Persie |
Manchester United |
8 |
3 |
225 |
11 |
61.1% |
153 |
|
Wayne Rooney |
Manchester United |
6 |
3 |
170 |
6 |
50% |
118 |
|
Edin Dzeko |
Manchester City |
8 |
2 |
242 |
4 |
44.4% |
90 |
|
Stevan Jovetic |
Manchester City |
5 |
2 |
134 |
3 |
50% |
75 |
|
Radamel Falcao |
Manchester United |
5 |
1 |
251 |
4 |
44.4% |
68 |
