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Jamie Carragher questioned how closely Gary Neville has paid attention to the 2024/25 Premier League season, as the pundits clashed over their teams of the campaign so far.
Carragher and Neville appeared on Monday Night Football as Sky Sports aired Manchester United’s loss to Newcastle, and the ex-defenders were tasked with picking their best collective XIs from the first half of the season.
Both men picked seven of the same players, with exactly the same midfields and front lines, and with Virgil van Dijk proving a mutual pick in defence.
But it was in the back line that one of Neville’s selections stunned Carragher, who asked his colleague: “What games have you watched? Are you serious? Are you serious?!”
It was a response to the revelation that Neville had chosen Josko Gvardiol, of an underperforming Man City, at left back.
“Yeah, I’m serious,” Neville replied. “To be honest with you, left back I was struggling with badly. It was the position that I was most struggling with.
“He’s scored four goals, he’s always a threat, he’s been the one who has consistently played, and he’s still the left back I would pick – at this moment in time – in the league.
“If I was picking a team right now, and I was thinking about building a back four, he’d be the player I’d put in at left back.”
Carragher hit back, saying: “We’re picking on the first half of the season, and he’s given goals away, so why have you picked him?”
“Because I think he’s the best left back in the league,” said Neville, in response to Carragher’s reference to City conceding 26 goals while scoring 32.
City’s surprisingly poor form has left them sixth in the season at the midway point, though they ended a dismal run of form by beating Leicester 2-0 on Sunday (29 December).
Neville’s XI: Matz Sels; Trent Alexander-Arnold, William Saliba, Virgil van Dijk, Josko Gvardiol; Ryan Gravenberch, Moises Caicedo; Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Matheus Cunha; Chris Wood.
Carragher’s XI: David Raya; Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Virgil van Dijk, Antonee Robinson; Ryan Gravenberch, Moises Caicedo; Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, Matheus Cunha; Chris Wood.
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