“Absolutely brilliant—one of the best runs I’ve ever witnessed from a center-back.” With a 98% pass completion rate, Tottenham’s ace has become undroppable, leaving Gary Neville stunned by his performance against Manchester United.
Tottenham star Micky van de Ven delivered an “absolutely brilliant” performance against Manchester United, leaving Gary Neville stunned.
On September 29, Spurs secured a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford, with goals from Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke. During a live broadcast on Sky Sports, Neville praised Van de Ven’s incredible 70-yard run that set up Johnson’s opening goal just three minutes into the match, calling it one of the best runs he had ever seen from a center-back.
From the start, Van de Ven effectively managed United’s struggling attack and was instrumental in establishing Spurs’ dominance. He was substituted nine minutes before the end, having been nearly unplayable in his role, contributing significantly with an expected goal value of 0.09 and expected assists of 0.57.
The Dutch defender completed an impressive 98 percent of his 87 passes, including the assist for Johnson’s goal, which set the tone for the match. Although he only attempted one shot, which was blocked, he had three touches in the opponent’s box and five successful passes into the final third.
Van de Ven also successfully completed his lone long pass, and despite United’s minimal threat, he remained solid defensively. He made four recoveries, three defensive actions, and both a block and a clearance, while also winning and conceding a free-kick.
The only downside to his performance was losing slightly more duels than he won, with a success rate of 33 percent—something unlikely to concern manager Ange Postecoglou. As he left the pitch to cheers from Spurs fans, it was evident how valued Van de Ven is to the team.
In other news, Ange Postecoglou has a promising new youth talent to watch in North London.
