A former Tottenham player has backed one of Thomas Frank's key players to "control" Viktor Gyokeres ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. Spurs are eighth in the Premier League, whereas the Gunners sit top of the pile heading into Sunday's clash at the Emirates. But one man is predicting Mikel Arteta's side will come unstuck against the Europa League holders.
Gyokeres warned about Tottenham talisman
Former Tottenham midfielder Sandro believes that Arsenal striker Gyokeres will provide a stern test for Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero this weekend. However, the Brazilian believes Dutch defender Micky van de Ven will keep the former Sporting CP forward in check, that is if the 27-year-old is fit to face Frank's players. Sancho also stressed how important getting all three points will be for their season.
He said, via The Metro: "Gyokeres will be fit for this game. Gyokeres is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He can run, he will give everything for the team. But I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he’s strong and he’s a winner. Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep. Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you’re going to see that. They will be 100% fighting throughout this match, because I see two players that want to fight. 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. This could be a very important game for us to change our momentum. If we can win this game, it could be a game changer for the period ahead."
Gyokeres has scored four goals in the Premier League following his switch from Portugal in the summer. So far, he has proven to be a solid recruit, although he is unlikely to get anywhere near the goalscoring numbers he produced at Sporting CP, where the Sweden international bagged 97 goals in 102 matches.
AdvertisementGettyVan de Ven hailed as world class
Another former Tottenham player has sung the praises of Van de Ven this week. Ex-Spurs centre-back Michael Dawson believes the 24-year-old will captain the club one day and is one of the best in the world in his position.
He said: "For me, Micky van de Ven is one of the best centre-backs in the world, not just the Premier League. I honestly believe that. I'm a huge, huge fan and I think he’s got everything. There aren’t many centre backs around that have the pace he does but also are able to read the game in the way he does. I know people will probably say his pace gets him out of trouble at times but I don’t really buy that and I think at times last season he was left to cover an awful lot of ground because of the way the team was set up. That goal he scored in the Champions League was mind blowing. For a centre-back to do that was special and I don’t really see any weaknesses, he’s got all the attributes to go right to the top. Without a shadow of a doubt he’s a future Tottenham captain. I look at Virgil van Dijk and he’s the benchmark for me in terms of how long he’s been at the top for, but I don’t think Micky is far off that, I really don’t. He’s got all the attributes to be a leader and I’m sure the reason he was tied down to a long-term contract was with that in mind."
Tottenham backed to beat Arsenal
Tottenham face a mighty test on Sunday, as Arsenal have won four and drawn one of their five Premier League home games this season. While Spurs' home form is poor, their away record is the second-best in the division. However, their results at the Emirates do not make for pleasant reading if you are a Tottenham fan. In 20 outings there, they have won two, drawn six, and lost 12. But Sandro thinks his old team will emerge victorious this time out.
He added: "When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time. But to try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job at the moment. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0."
AFPBig tests ahead for Tottenham
Frank's side are gearing up for a brutal few days as after travelling to Arsenal, they head to Paris to take on Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in Europe's elite competition on Wednesday. They then round off the month with a clash against London neighbours Fulham on Saturday.