Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has claimed that star defender Thiago Silva is the only Blues player who would feature in a combined Chelsea and Arsenal lineup.
Silva, 38, has been a crucial member of the Blues since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer in the summer of 2020.
He has helped the club lift three trophies, netting five goals and contributing five assists in 97 appearances across all competitions.
A technically gifted centre-back, the Brazilian has opened the ongoing season on a positive note. He has provided two assists in 15 games so far.
O’Hara picked Silva as a replacement for Gunners centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes in the left centre-back role in his combined London team during a conversation with talkSPORT. He also mentioned that Reece James would make it into the team if he was currently fit.
While discussing the other positions on the pitch, O’Hara said:
“You can’t say [Kai] Havertz because for me, [Gabriel] Jesus is way better. Out of Mason Mount and Gabriel Martinelli, at the moment I’m taking Martinelli. Bukayo Saka over Raheem Sterling. Martin Odegaard, who gets in ahead of him? He’s fantastic.”
“Cesar Azpilicueta has been a fantastic player over the years but I think Ben White is ahead of him right now.”
O’Hara further claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in better shape than the Blues ahead of their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (6 November). He added:
“Everyone’s talking about Chelsea, who have spent a lot of money, £275 million. They should be challenging for the title. I look at Arsenal’s team and it’s a better side. They have got to take great confidence going into the weekend.”
While Arsenal are currently atop the 2022-23 Premier League table with 31 points from 12 games, Chelsea are sixth with 21 points.
Paul Merson predicts outcome of upcoming Chelsea-Arsenal showdown
In his column for Sportskeeda, former Gunners forward Paul Merson predicted a 1-1 draw between the two London rivals. He wrote:
“If Arsenal win this game, they’d have to lose five football matches for Chelsea to catch them, and that’s if Chelsea don’t lose themselves. This is a big game for them and they’ll need to avoid defeat.”
He added:
“Arsenal are flying in the Premier League at the moment and they don’t need the World Cup rest. They’re on a roll and they were outstanding against Forest. I think this match will end in a draw.”
The Gunners have a slight upper hand over the west London outfit in their head-to-head record, registering four wins, three draws and three losses in their last 10 Premier League meetings.
