A Premier League North vs South All-Star game is unlikely to happen, but if it did, how would the two teams line up?
New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is already trying to make the Premier League more American, calling for the introduction of an All-Star match between a North XI and a South XI formed from the selections of Premier League clubs from those respective regions.
The suggestion, unsurprisingly, hasn’t proved too popular with fans, while Jurgen Klopp has already laughed it off. But if such a match did go ahead, how would the sides shape up? We took a look…
GK: Alisson – It would be a battle of the Brazilians for the spot between the sticks, and like national team manager Tito, we’d just about give Alisson the nod over Ederson.
RB: Joao Cancelo – Sees off competition from English trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier to take the right-back spot.
CB: Ruben Dias – The second-best centre-back playing in the north of England.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – Do we really need to explain?
LB: Andy Roberston – Easily the best left-back available to the team.
DM: Casemiro – Given their performances so far this season, you could make a strong case for Rodri or Bruno Guimaraes being included, but given how good he’s been at Real Madrid, we’ve gone with Casemiro.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne – Duh.
CM: Bernardo Silva – Recent form gives him the edge over Thiago, Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen.
RW: Mohamed Salah – Hasn’t been great so far this season, but class is permanent and all that.
ST: Erling Haaland – Given the lack of a world-class striker at Anfield and Old Trafford, maybe the first name on the team sheet.
LW: Phil Foden – It was a toss-up between him and Luis Diaz, but after much deliberation, we’ve gone with the City man.
Subs: David De Gea, Raphael Varane, Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Rodri, Thiago, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Luis Diaz.
GK: Hugo Lloris – Not much to choose between the keepers at Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, but the Frenchman’s experience gets him the spot.
RB: Reece James – The best right-back south of Liverpool.
CB: Cristian Romero – Keeps the Arsenal centre-backs out of the team, just about.
CB: Thiago Silva – Continues to show that age is but a number.
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – Has made a great start to life in London, comfortably the best option of the left.
DM: Declan Rice – Better than the holding midfielders most big clubs have, hence why so many Premier League giants want to sign him.
CM: Martin Odegaard – Would walk into any southern English club’s starting XI on current form.
CM: N’Golo Kante – Maybe past his peak, but he’s still very, very good.
RW: Bukayo Saka – Not yet at his peak, and already very, very good.
ST: Harry Kane – Gabriel Jesus is great, but Kane is still better.
LW: Son Heung-Min – Surely will recapture the form that saw him win the Golden Boot last season.
Subs: Edouard Mendy, William Saliba, Eric Dier, Moises Caicedo, Mason Mount, Richarlison, Raheem Sterling, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ivan Toney.