Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro has thrown his support behind his old club, boldly predicting that defender Micky van de Ven will successfully 'control' Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres in this weekend's highly anticipated North London Derby.
Defensive Duo Set for Emirates Clash
The stage is set for a monumental clash at the Emirates Stadium this Sunday. Arsenal, currently top of the Premier League, host their arch-rivals, who sit in fifth place, eight points adrift. Spurs are desperate to end a dismal run against the Gunners, having failed to secure a victory since May 2022 and losing their last three consecutive derby matches.
Despite a significant injury crisis at Tottenham, there is a major boost for manager Thomas Frank. The formidable central defensive partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero is set to be reinstated for the trip across North London. Van de Ven has been in particularly exquisite form this season, remarkably contributing six goals in all competitions from the back.
Sandro's Verdict on the Key Battle
In an exclusive interview with Metro, facilitated by Eskil Raknes at Kongebonus, Sandro provided his expert analysis on the key individual battles. The Brazilian is a clear admirer of Arsenal's Swedish striker, Gyokeres, confirming his belief that the forward will be fit despite a recent injury scare.
'Gyokeres will be fit for this game,' Sandro stated. 'He is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He will give everything for the team.'
However, when it comes to the pivotal match-up, Sandro's allegiance is clear. He believes the combination of Romero's intelligence and Van de Ven's blistering pace will be too much for the Arsenal forward to handle.
'I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he's strong and he's a winner,' Sandro explained. 'Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep.'
A Physical Battle in Prospect
Sandro anticipates a fiercely physical contest between Gyokeres and Romero, one that could define the entire match. He relishes the prospect of watching two committed warriors go head-to-head.
'Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you're going to see that,' he said. 'They will be 100% fighting throughout this match... Romero will be there to fight for everything. Every single ball, he's going to throw his head in. Gyokeres will also push Romero, I'm so excited to watch them battle.'
The former Spurs star also highlighted the potential for this game to be a turning point in Tottenham's season. A victory for Spurs could be a 'game changer' for their momentum in the period ahead, according to Sandro.
This comes after Arsenal's impressive run of 10 straight victories, conceding just one goal, was halted by a draw at Sunderland before the international break. While the Gunners will be desperate to win and maintain their lead at the summit, Sandro is backing an upset.
'When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time,' he declared. 'To try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0.'
