Sheringham says Spurs’ defensive duo Van de Ven and Romero are the equal of Arsenal’s Saliba and Gabriel
Sheringham is a big fan of the Spurs defensive pairing
Teddy Sheringham says Tottenham’s central defensive pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven can be compared to Arsenal duo William Saliba and Gabriel.
The Gunners’ defensive record stands alone this season with the 3-0 win at Slavia Prague last night Arsenal’s eighth consecutive match without conceding a goal – equalling a 122-year club record.
Not long after Arsenal’s game in the Czech Republic finished, Spurs kicked off against FC Copenhagen and went on to win 4-0 in a game that will be remembered for a wonderful solo goal from Van de Ven.
The Netherlands international picked up the ball on the edge of his own area and ran 80 yards before finishing with the composure of a seasoned striker.
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Spurs pair are in the same category as Arsenal duo – Sheringham
Sheringham, who made over 200 appearances for Spurs over two spells, believes Van de Ven’s partnership with Romero is key to the club’s prospects this season.
He told Oddspedia: “Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are in the same category as Gabriel and William Saliba.
“Everyone talks about the best Premier League centre-back pairing being Gabriel and Saliba. You can also make a case for Liverpool’s defensive partnership: Virgil van Dijk is still a fantastic player, although there are still question marks around Ibrahima Konate. But I would place Van de Ven and Romero in the same bracket as those two pairings.
“They both complement each other very well; if one gets beaten, his partner is there to cover for him. It’s unusual for a centre-back pairing at Spurs to be likened to the Premier League’s elite defenders, but they’re the bedrock of a stable team.”
Duo need to stay fit for Spurs to progress
The key for Van de Ven and Romero is staying fit with both men struggling with injuries over the past couple of seasons.
Sheringham added: “We saw last year how Spurs struggled without that pairing and it ultimately contributed to Ange Postecoglou’s downfall.
“If you took both Van de Ven and Romero out of the team, it becomes very stressful for Spurs, so Thomas Frank will be glad they’re back in the team and showing their class.”