Third place Manchester City host Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday as both sides look to test their title credentials against another fellow contender.

Pep Guardiola’s City go into this game having beaten Burnley 2-1 last weekend, but they haven’t won at home in the league since September 24, with draws against Everton, Southampton, and Middlesbrough frustrating the Etihad faithful in that time.

In contrast, Antonio Conte’s Chelsea are flying having won seven straight matches, and conceding just one goal in that time.

The Blues struggled in the early stages of the season for consistency, but since Conte has switched to a back three, they have been unstoppable and have risen from tenth to top spot in the space of a few months.

Victory for Guardiola’s men would take them above the Blues into top spot, for 24 hours at least, but a win for the visitors on Saturday would take them four points clear of City.

With the build-up well underway, speculation is building about who might start for both sides, and who could miss out on a place in the starting eleven.

We at Shoot! though have decided to combine the two squads, and have come up with the ultimate Manchester City and Chelsea combined eleven…

GK – Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois may have struggled a bit last season at Chelsea, but he’s still an excellent goalkeeper.

The Belgian international was an integral part of the Blues team that won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho in 2014/15, and at times this season has made some key saves when called upon.

Claudio Bravo is still unconvincing as a shot-stopper and, for a goalkeeper who was brought in because he could use his feet, he’s not been great with the ball on the floor either.

Courtois certainly gets into this side.

RB – Bacary Sagna

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna looked to have adapted well to Guardiola’s style in the early stages of the season.

However, injury has ruled him out for a sizable chunk of the campaign, but he has since returned to the side and doesn’t look like relinquishing his grip on the right-back slot.

Sagna is better defensively than Pablo Zabaleta, and gets into this side ahead of his City teammate.

CB – David Luiz

Hands up who thought Conte’s purchase of David Luiz on the final day of the transfer window was nothing more than a panic buy? We certainly did.

However, the Brazilian international has seamlessly taken the responsibility of playing in the middle of Conte’s back three, and is beginning to look like a top-quality centre-back.

Many will remember his defensive deficiencies from his first spell at Stamford Bridge, highlighted by his sensationally poor performance for Brazil in their 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, but he’s improved significantly under Conte, and can be relied upon to keep things tight and organise the backline.

Luiz is keeping John Terry out of the Chelsea team at the minute, and doesn’t look like losing his place any time soon.

CB – Nicolas Otamendi

Nicolas Otamendi has arguably been City’s best defender this season, and has remained in the side when fellow centre-back John Stones has lost his place.

The Argentine international moved to the Etihad last year but struggled on several occasions at centre-back, but he seems to have improved a lot from the confidence placed in him by Guardiola this time around.

Otamendi has started ten of their 13 league games and has appeared in six of their Champions League games this season, and will be a key part of that City defence for the rest of the campaign and beyond.

LB – Cesar Azpilicueta

Cesar Azpilicueta has been one of the standout defenders in the Premier League over the last few years, and is equally adept at playing both right-back and left-back.

And this season he has seamlessly slotted into Conte’s back three, and continues to consistently perform at a high level.

The Spanish international is comfortably better than Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, and deserves his place in this side.

RM – Kevin De Bruyne

Both sides have got an array of attacking talent, and it’s a former Blue which gets the nod down the right-hand-side.

Kevin De Bruyne moved to Wolfsburg in 2014 after making just nine appearances for Chelsea between 2012 and 2014, but 20 goals in three seasons in Germany saw Man City splash out £55 million on the Belgian international.

And it appears to be money well spent as the 25-year-old has been in excellent form for City, and looks to be a key part of what they hope to achieve this season.

Raheem Sterling has done well this season, but De Bruyne’s more consistent displays and greater attacking threat see him into the side.

CM – Nemanja Matic

Deciding between Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante is far from easy, but the Serbian international just gets the nod.

Kante was outstanding for Leicester last season in their title-winning campaign, and has started in similar fashion this time around, but Matic has found his great form again after a frustrating season last time out.

But it’s not just the so-called ‘dirty’ work that the 28-year-old has completed brilliantly this season, he’s added a more attacking influence to his game.

Matic has six assists this season, more than anyone in the Chelsea team and only behind De Bruyne in terms of the Premier League, and that’s why he just pips his Blues teammate to this place.

CM – David Silva

Technically one of the best in the Premier League, David Silva has been brilliant for City since his arrival in 2010.

The Spanish international has scored 35 goals and laid on 59 assists in the Premier League, and there are very few players who have been involved in more goals in that time than the City playmaker.

Silva can find space and time in any situation on the field, and is able to cut defences open effortlessly. Alongside Matic, it would be an excellent central midfield partnership.

LM – Eden Hazard

Although Eden Hazard had a torrid season last time out, he has been reborn under Conte this term.

The Belgian international scored a paltry four Premier League goals last season as he struggled under Jose Mourinho and then Guus Hiddink, but he surpassed that tally in the Blues’ 2-0 win over Southampton at the end of October.

Two more goals and an incredible performance against Everton means Hazard is one of the most in-form players in the division, and looking even better than the attacker we saw help inspire Chelsea to the Premier League in the 2014/15 campaign.

He cannot be left out of this side.

ST – Sergio Aguero

One hundred and twelve (112) Premier League goals in 161 games, Sergio Aguero has proven to be one of the best forwards in England over the last five years.

The Argentine international made the move to Manchester in 2011, and has since then exceeded 20 league goals in three of his five seasons at the Etihad, and exceeded 30 in all competitions twice.

The 28-year-old has already scored 16 goals in 18 games this season, and will once again lead the line against Chelsea on Saturday.

ST – Diego Costa

It’s difficult to leave Chelsea’s Diego Costa out such is his brilliant form in front of goal.

The Spanish international was another Blues player that struggled for form last season, but he has hit back sensationally this time around, scoring ten goals in 13 league games, and sitting joint-top of the goal-scorer’s charts with Aguero.

Costa has failed to score in just four league games so far this season, and alongside his three goals for Spain, he is in the form of his life.

A strike partnership of Aguero and Costa would cause no end of problems for any side in England, and arguably Europe.