Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp‘s rivalry defined an era of Premier League football, with Manchester City and Liverpool pushing each other to extraordinary heights.

The revelations surrounding City’s financial conduct have inevitably tainted that period, but there’s still a compelling case that these were the two of the finest teams English football has ever seen.

Here’s our best effort at a combined XI from the Klopp-Guardiola era.

Kicking things off with a nice easy one.

Ederson was outrageously successful at Manchester City, winning six Premier League titles, and his confidence with the ball at his feet made him the perfect goalkeeper for Pep Guardiola’s system.

But we all know who the best Brazilian goalkeeper of this era is, don’t we?

A proper debatable one, and a dilemma that Gareth Southgate no doubt wrestled with throughout his time as England manager (often sitting on the fence and opting for Kieran Trippier instead).

There’s no shortage of creativity further forward in this XI, so you could make a strong argument for Kyle Walker’s superior one-on-one defending and extraordinary recovery pace.

But we just can’t look past Alexander-Arnold. His defensive deficiencies were always a tad overstated – he started three Champions League finals, for God’s sake – and his crossing ability was unlike anything we’ve ever seen from a full-back.

The closest thing the Premier League has had to prime David Beckham since… prime David Beckham.

A surprisingly difficult decision.

Vincent Kompany seems the obvious pick, but he was arguably at his best before Guardiola arrived. He and John Stones started fewer than half of City’s games in their 100-point season. Nicolas Otamendi was an ever-present that year, but he doesn’t quite feel right.

Besides, pairing a leader as commanding as Kompany with the next fella feels like a case of too many cooks.

So we’ve gone with Dias. His stock fell somewhat as City failed to win the title in Guardiola’s final two seasons, but it’s worth remembering just how transformative he was when he first arrived, winning the Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in his debut season.

He was every bit as imperious when City won the treble in 2022-23.

Obviously.

First name on the teamsheet?

Another Liverpool full-back gets the nod. Robertson was integral to Klopp’s success, providing relentless energy down the left flank and exceptional attacking returns without quite possessing the wow factor of the fella on the opposite flank.

Robbo has registered just three fewer Premier League assists than Alexander-Arnold, sitting ahead of the likes of Steve McManaman, Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes in the all-time charts.

A testament to Klopp’s coaching, but we’re sure Guardiola would’ve loved working with such an industrious, committed player too.

The only Ballon d’Or winner in this XI and arguably the easiest selection of the lot. At his peak, Rodri was the heartbeat of Guardiola’s Manchester City, dictating games with almost ridiculous consistency.

No disrespect to the honest workhorses who populated Klopp’s midfield, but the Spaniard was operating in another galaxy.

Nobody has played more games under Guardiola than Bernardo Silva. His 460 appearances were a whopping 79 more than his nearest challenger.

That tells you everything about how highly the Catalan valued the Portuguese midfielder, whose intelligence, work rate and technical ability made him indispensable.

He’s exactly what this midfield needs, too. The perfect complement to Rodri’s metronomic passing and De Bruyne’s absurd creative output.

And, let’s be honest, every team needs a bit of a sh*thouse.

Another no-brainer to complete our all-City midfield.

For all Liverpool’s success under Klopp, it’s striking how Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum were almost playing a different sport to Guardiola’s trusted lieutenants. Thiago Alcantara offered a tantalising glimpse of what Liverpool might have had, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

We don’t really need to make the case for De Bruyne, do we? Stick him alongside Rodri and Silva, add Alexander-Arnold’s delivery from deep and give them this front three to supply. The chance creation would’ve been off the charts.

Alongside Van Dijk, Rodri and De Bruyne, Salah belongs in the category of players whose inclusion required approximately zero deliberation.

Liverpool’s Egyptian King notched 301 direct goal contributions in just 349 appearances under Klopp. Three Premier League Golden Boots (before a fourth under Arne Slot) underline his remarkable consistency.

Not quite as obvious as Salah, but ultimately another fairly straightforward choice over any City candidates.

Mane was a force of nature in Klopp’s great Liverpool side, setting the tone with his aggressive pressing and backing it up with consistently excellent output.

Perhaps more than anyone else in this XI, he feels like a player both managers would’ve loved equally. Guardiola would’ve had a field day with that fearless intensity.

Bobby Firmino deserves a shout. His particular skillset and remarkable selflessness were crucial to Klopp’s peak Liverpool, allowing Salah and Mane to thrive either side of him. A traditional No.9 would’ve made for a very different dynamic.

But how do you possibly overlook Haaland?

The Norwegian scored 52 goals in his first season at City, helping them win the treble, and has barely stopped scoring since. An absolute freak of nature. He had to be in.

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