Sandro ready for North London Derby

Sunday’s North London Derby provides an ideal stage for us to recover from this week’s setbacks, according to Sandro.

Our popular Brazilian international, who celebrates his 25th birthday on Saturday, was involved at the sharp end as we suffered back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Benfica over recent days.

But as we prepare to renew our rivalry with Arsenal, Sandro believes the team has an opportunity to make a clear statement ahead of the season’s run-in.

“This is a great chance for us to put things right,” said the midfield powerhouse. “If we can win this game it can change everything.

“It will help us to show that last week’s result (against Chelsea) was just a bad day for us and we are better than that.”

The atmosphere around White Hart Lane for a North London Derby is always intense – and Sandro admitted the passion surrounding the fixture makes it an attractive one to be involved in.

“It’s a massive game for us against Arsenal and one I really love to play in,” he added. “I know how much it means to the fans for us to win this one and I really hope we can do it for them and of course, for ourselves.

“I love the feeling when you play against your rivals, just how amazing the atmosphere is inside the stadium, how strong the battle is on the pitch. These are the matches that any footballer wants to play in.”

Read more from Sandro in Sunday’s matchday programme. If you’re not at the game, you can buy individual programmes here and find details on subscriptions here.