Keown ‘right’ about Neville ‘bias’ as Carragher picks Grealish over Giggs in combined Man Utd, Man City XI

Jamie Carragher joked Martin Keown was right about Gary Neville’s bias as the Sky Sports duo picked their combined Manhester United and Manchester City XIs on Monday Night Football.

City could win an historic treble this season as they target the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, a feat only previously achieved by Manchester United in the 1998/99 campaign, with Neville part of that team.

Carragher and Neville picked a combined side of players from United’s Treble-winning side and the current City vintage.

And Neville picked purely Manchester United players, with Peter Schmeichel in goal, himself, Jaap Stam, Ronny Johnsen and Denis Irwin in defence, a midfield four of David Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, with Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke leading the line.

Explaining his decision, Neville said: “The reason I’m picking this team is because this is the team that has done the treble and City haven’t yet. So the first thing we should do is wait for the next few weeks and when they’ve done it we can start to integrate.

“I’ve got a second team… but I’m going to wait for his [Carragher’s] disrespectful team first…”

Neville then quipped: “If I was picking a Norwegian I’d be picking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, not Erling Haaland! Them lads were like brothers.”

Carragher, in reference to Keown claiming Neville and Martin Tyler’s coverage of , said: “I think what that shows is that what we heard from Martin Keown this morning – he was right about you!”

In response to Keown’s big claims, Neville said straight to the camera: “Big Martin, you alright Martin?!”

Carragher’s combined XI featured six City players, with Kyle Walker replacing Neville, Ruben Dias for Ronny Johnsen, Ilkay Gundogan for Paul Scholes, Jack Grealish for Ryan Giggs, and Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland leading the line in place of Yorke and Cole.

Explaining his decisions, Carragher said: “Ryan Giggs is a better player than Grealish – but not in that season – so that’s why I chose him.”

He said: “I love Jack Grealish, I love Ilkay Gundogan but I’m not entertaining the conversation around them over Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes. I’m not entertaining the conversation.

On the David Beckham, Roy Keane, Scholes and Giggs quartet, Neville said: “That’s the greatest midfield that’s ever played football in this country, bar none.