Tottenham fan favourite Sandro has ignited the war of words ahead of the North London derby against league leaders Arsenal.Sandro certainly understood what it meant to be facing Arsenal, with the midfielder never shy of getting stuck in during his playing days.His tendency to give all for the shirt and put his body on the line are the main reasons why Tottenham fans took to him, with the Lilywhites faithful affectionately naming him ‘the beast’.Spurs go into the North London derby as massive underdogs, given that Arsenal are one of the favourites to win the Premier League title, but Sandro believes there is one area where Tottenham are better than their rivals.Credit: @thefrederikkejensen / InstagramSandro claims Tottenham have the best centre-back pairing in the Premier LeagueThe Gunners’ resurgence under Mikel Arteta over the last few years has been built on a solid defensive foundation, with Gabriel and William Saliba being two of Arsenal’s most important players.However, Sandro believes that Tottenham’s centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven is better than the Arsenal pair and every other centre-back partnership in the Premier League.When asked if Romero and Van de Ven are the best pairing in the division, the former Spurs man said (via Football.London): “I think so, I believe that it is the best defensive partnership in the Premier League, because you can see the quality that Van de Ven has and his speed.“Yes, he made a mistake against Chelsea, but who doesn’t make a mistake? Everybody does, and if you balance the mistakes and the good things that he does, he’s amazing.”Sando is impressed by Cristian Romero’s evolution for SpursRomero is now wearing the captain’s armband at Tottenham, and Sando insisted that the Argentine’s leadership quality is clear for all to see.The 36-year-old has also praised the World Cup winner for the composure he is now showing, pointing out that he is not as rash as he once was.Discussing Romero’s behaviour, Sando added: “The leadership that Romero has, it’s unbelievable. You can see straight away the way he manages the game, the way he talks with the referees, with the midfielders. I love Romero. Proper leader.“And I think he’s now reading the game a little bit more to get into positions, where he used to get stupid yellow cards and red cards. But now, I think he has learned a little bit. Okay, he’s never going to change; he goes for the ball, but I think he’s now a bit calmer.”READ MORE: Mohammed Kudus makes interesting admission about how people treat him at TottenhamThe post Sandro ignites war of words with Arsenal after huge Tottenham centre-back claim appeared first on Spurs Web.