‘It’s a bit silly’ – talkSPORT hosts clash over combined north London derby XI
Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy clashed over which Tottenham players should feature in a combined north London derby with Arsenal stars.
The bitter rivals will battle for the first time this season on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a feisty match on the cards.
Derby days give fans the chance to create starting XI’s consisting of players from both sides, with Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit telling talkSPORT that Spurs would maybe have two players ‘maximum’.
This is despite the Gunners being set to miss Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard through suspension and injury respectively.
“I think he’s talking garbage,” said O’Hara in response to Petit, before he and Cundy failed to agree on a combined north London derby XI, with the full Sports Bar clash below.
Cundy: What’s he said that’s upset you?
O’Hara: Well, two players, what’s he talking about? How many Arsenal players get in Spurs’ team?
Cundy: Right, well I’m putting Van de Ven in there. I know [Andy] Goldstein recommended him and they shot him down. I’m having [Micky] Van de Ven alongside [William] Saliba.
O’Hara: Yes… Pedro Porro is a better player than Ben White.
Cundy: No, but he’s not mate.
O’Hara: Yes he is!
Cundy: No he’s not, he’s not better than Ben White.
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O’Hara: Yes he is! Pedro Porro is an amazing football player, and [Destiny] Udogie plays week in, week out at left-back. He was one of the best left-backs in the country last season.
Cundy: Was he? One of the best in the country? You might have overdone that a little bit…
O’Hara: No, I’m not over-egging it at all.
Cundy: One of the best in the country?
O’Hara: Didn’t he get in the team of the season?
Cundy: Did he? Are you sure about that?
O’Hara: Mate, I’m sure he was close to it… I think he got in it, I’m not 100 per cent.
[Editor note: He didn’t]
But, they [Arsenal] bought a left-back because their left-back’s been poor. So for Emmanuel Petit to come out and say only two players get in…
Cundy: He’s won a World Cup mate, he can say what he wants…
O’Hara: I know he can say what he wants, of course he can, absolutely. But, he’s talking rubbish.
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Cundy: Right, I’m having three. Van de Ven, [James] Maddison in… [Kai] Havertz high up, Maddison can play where Odegaard does, and I’m having [Heung-min] Son on the left. That’s from having three in there.
O’Hara: I disagree mate. Look, without Rice, they’ve got Thomas Partey or Jorginho, right, to choose from. [Yves] Bissouma’s a better player.
Cundy: I don’t know if Bissouma is… is he fit? I don’t know if he’s fit mate.
O’Hara: Bissouma’s a better player.
Cundy: Ok. I’m just telling you now mate, I’m having three in there.
O’Hara: Obviously [Bukayo] Saka goes on the right and Havertz, at the moment in time… you have to put him up front, down the middle because he’s doing alright.
Cundy: And Maddison in behind him… Give us your team then!
O’Hara: Well… there’s an argument for [Guglielmo] Vicario…
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Cundy: Look, J, listen, don’t argue with me or yourself, give us your team.
O’Hara: But I just…
Cundy: Give us your team!
O’Hara: It’s annoyed me because, you know, this Arsenal lot think they’re Real Madrid, they literally think they’re Real Madrid.
Cundy: Give us your team, who’s in goal?
O’Hara: [David] Raya. Udogie, Van de Ven, Saliba, Porro…
Cundy: So three of the back four are Spurs?
O’Hara: Yes, 100 per cent.
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Cundy: Ok, go on.
O’Hara: Then I would say Bissouma and Thomas Partey, I don’t know who’s fit.
Cundy: Well Partey’s fit and Jorginho is fit from what we got…
O’Hara: Maddison, Son, Saka, Havertz. You can’t argue with that, there’s no argument, you can’t argue with that.
Cundy: You know Arsenal had the best defence in the league last season?
O’Hara: I don’t care.
Cundy: And you’ve got three of the back four…
O’Hara: Yep, Saliba was their best player… so Saliba’s in there.
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Cundy: Saka was their best player… mate, you can’t have Porro over Ben White, you can’t mate.
O’Hara: Mate, Porro is top quality.
Cundy: No, he’s not better than… mate, come on, that’s being a bit silly.
O’Hara: Listen, I’m not being silly!
Cundy: It’s a bit silly.
O’Hara: Ask any Spurs fan, and ask an Arsenal fan.
Cundy: Well ok, well listen, ask them now!
So that’s six from Tottenham and five from Arsenal in O’Hara’s combined north London derby XI – how do you rate it?
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