Which is better: the north or the south? It's an argument that divides England on many levels: flat cap v bowler hat; barm cake v bread roll; Coronation Street v Eastenders; rain v slightly less rain; and many other stereotypes besides.

The top six of the Premier League also happens to be divided equally among teams from the north (Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool) and three from the south (Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham).

But which region can boast the stronger players? Sportsmail has selected combined XIs for both the north and south in an attempt to work it out.

Tell us who YOU think would win the all-star match if these dream teams were pitted against each other by voting in the poll below or by leaving a comment...

NORTH XI

GK: David de Gea, Manchester United

Easy. City's Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero, and Liverpool's Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius didn't come close to being chosen over De Gea.

United's No 1 is one of the best in Europe, let alone England, and our shot-stopper between the sticks here.

Manchester United's David de Gea was the simple choice in goal for our North team

RB: Antonio Valencia, Manchester United

The right-back position wasn't as easy to pick.

Other considerations are Bacary Sagna and Nathaniel Clyne, but Valencia's form this season has seen him become crucial component of the team at Old Trafford. He gets the nod.

Antonio Valencia isn't a natural right back, but he's still edged out his rivals here

CB: Eric Bailly, Manchester United

At centre back is Bailly, the £30m summer signing. He's helped United to one trophy – the EFL Cup – and is searching for more silverware.

The final against Southampton at Wembley Stadium saw him play alongside Chris Smalling but that's not who he partners in our North XI.

Eric Bailly (left) has already won a trophy in English football after his move last summer

CB: Joel Matip, Liverpool

This means City's £47.5m man John Stones misses out.

Instead, we've gone with Matip. The Liverpool centre back is alongside United's Bailly and sorry to all City supporters because you have no representatives in our back four.

Joel Matip (right) battles against Leicester striker Jamie Vardy for Liverpool on Monday night

LB: Marcos Rojo, Manchester United

Like right back, left back wasn't so easy either.

There's Liverpool's James Milner, City's Gael Clichy… but Rojo gets the gig. United's full back has been a fixture in Jose Mourinho's defence this season.

Marcos Rojo (right) makes it three members of Manchester United's back four in our line-up

RW: Sadio Mane, Liverpool

This is where it starts to get tough. There was Raheem Sterling to consider – particularly after his performance in the Champions League against Monaco last week – but Mane is our choice.

The Liverpool winger is world class and was missed by Jurgen Klopp during the Africa Cup of Nations.

MD: Paul Pogba, Manchester United

The £89m man. Pogba has become the first player in the Premier League to make more than 1,000 passes in the opposition half this season.

Being the world's priciest player can be a burden, but the 23-year-old is showing why United were willing to part with so much money.

Sadio Mane (left) and Paul Pogba can put club rivalries aside for their places in this team

MD: Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City

And it gets tougher. How do you leave out someone like David Silva? It can be down to personal preference but, for us, it's De Bruyne.

The 25-year-old is one of Pep Guardiola's star players. Silva, 31, is too but De Bruyne is our pick.

Kevin De Bruyne is the creative brain at the heart of so much of Manchester City's good play

LW: Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool

As much as we like Leroy Sane following his arrival at City, we've gone with the experienced Premier League playmaker that is Coutinho.

The 24-year-old can terrorise the wing when he wants and is our attacker on the left here.

Philippe Coutinho (left) has become one of the Premier League's outstanding creative talents

FW: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United

Who else? Ibrahimovic was tipped to fail in the Premier League by the majority of pundits, particularly now he is at the age of 35.

With 26 goals in all competitions this season, though, the Swedish great is an easy choice to be one of our strikers in our North XI.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to defy his age and is banging in the goals aged 35

FW: Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

He may have lost out on his place to Gabriel Jesus in Guardiola's eyes – but not ours. Aguero, the man who turned City into champions, partners Ibrahimovic here.

The City striker showed against Monaco in Europe's elite competition in February why he is still one of the world's best. The question now is, will he stay or go this summer?

Sergio Aguero (left) teams up with Ibrahimovic in a mouthwatering strike partnership

North combined XI (4-4-2): De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Matip, Rojo; Mane, Pogba, De Bruyne, Coutinho; Ibrahimovic, Aguero

SOUTH XI

GK: Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea

This was a choice between Arsenal's Petr Cech, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Chelsea's Courtois.

Courtois saw off competition from Cech to become the No 1 at Stamford Bridge. It's deja vu here. As for Courtois and Lloris, it's close, but Chelsea win it.

Thibaut Courtois is the pick of three very strong goalkeepers for the South dream team

RB: Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea

Azpilicueta has arguably been the Premier League's best defender this season. That makes this as easy a choice as any.

As part of Antonio Conte's three-man defence, he has been solid, and always ready to help in attack.

CB: David Luiz, Chelsea

When Luiz returned to Chelsea in a cut-price transfer, eyebrows were raised. Why was Antonio Conte doing this? We knew he wanted a central defender, but Luiz? Really?

Well, now we know why. Luiz is a contender for Chelsea's player of the year. The former Paris Saint-Germain defender is playing through the pain like a warrior, showing his dedication.

Cesar Azpilicueta (left) and David Luiz reprise their club partnership in this combined XI

CB: Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham

To go alongside Luiz, we looked at Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi, the duo who were destroyed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Yet Vertonghen is a leader in Tottenham's team. Here, it's a Chelsea-Tottenham partnership of Luiz and Vertonghen.

LB: Danny Rose, Tottenham

Sorry Marcos Alonso. Chelsea's left-sided wing back has been one of the best in the Premier League this season under Conte – but Rose is the best.

Rose, currently injured, is Mauricio Pochettino's not-so-secret weapon on the left wing. The England international has turned into a superstar at Spurs.

Jan Vertonghen (left) and Danny Rose make it two Tottenham defenders in this line-up

RW: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal

How can you have a South XI and leave out Sanchez? Simple answer: you cannot.

Arsenal's superstar, though usually used as a centre forward by Arsene Wenger, is no stranger to the wing. Here, we have handed him a place on the right.

Alexis Sanchez is a force of nature for Arsenal, in whichever position he is picked

MD: N'Golo Kante, Chelsea

Easy. Easy, easy, easy. It should be a criminal offence to leave Kante out of any side, from Chelsea to our South XI to the Premier League team of the year.

He is in the running to win the player of the year award after helping Leicester to the title last season and Chelsea towards it this.

N'Golo Kante's influence at the heart of midfield has been crucial to Leicester and Chelsea

MD: Mesut Ozil, Arsenal

He has his critics but Ozil can show himself as world class on his day. Arsenal's playmaker, then, has a position in our XI.

Ozil is after a new contract at Arsenal. His form has been up and down, but we prefer him to Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Cesc Fabregas and Co here.

LW: Eden Hazard, Chelsea

Last season he went AWOL. This season he is doing anything but. Hazard is looking like his old self again and, on the left wing, there are few players you'd prefer.

Arsenal's wingers – Alex Iwobi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, etc – don't come close. Eriksen, Alli and Son Heung-min don't either. It's Hazard for us.

Mesut Ozil (left) and Eden Hazard would make a mouthwatering combination in midfield

FW: Harry Kane, Tottenham

Kane, who was once said to be a one-season wonder, has turned it on again this year. The Tottenham striker has now scored more than 20 goals in all competitions.

With his second hat-trick in a week, he sunk Stoke at the weekend. He is in the race for the Golden Boot in the Premier League and one of our two strikers in the South XI.

Harry Kane's lethal finishing make him one of the league's most feared marksmen

FW: Diego Costa, Chelsea

A mixture of good and bad for us up front. With good-guy Kane getting a place, the other goes to Chelsea's bad boy in Costa.

The striker is lethal and has scored 16 goals for the west London club this season. They may have to fight to hold on to him this summer, with Chinese clubs circling, but Costa is world class.

While Kane is the good cop in our team, Chelsea's Diego Costa is very much the bad cop

South combined XI (4-4-2): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Vertonghen, Rose; Sanchez, Kante, Ozil, Hazard; Kane, Costa

Poll Who would win the all-star match... the North XI or the South XI? North XI South XI Who would win the all-star match... the North XI or the South XI? North XI 1874 votes

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Each club's player totals for each dream team:

NORTH XI:

Manchester United: 6

(De Gea, Antonio, Bailly, Rojo, Pogba, Ibrahimovic)

Liverpool: 3

(Matip, Mane, Coutinho)

Manchester City: 2

(De Bruyne, Aguero)

SOUTH XI:

Chelsea: 6

(Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Kante, Hazard, Costa)

Tottenham: 3

(Vertonghen, Rose, Kane)

Arsenal: 2

(Ozil, Sanchez)