Micky van de Ven believes Tottenham’s attack is more versatile this season compared to last, following their 4-0 victory over Everton on Saturday.
Van de Ven stood out with a remarkable 70-yard dribble that led to Heung-min Son scoring Spurs’ fourth goal. However, several of Ange Postecoglou’s players were noteworthy in the match.
Yves Bissouma opened the scoring with a well-placed shot from outside the box, and Son extended the lead with a quick steal from Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford. Cristian Romero scored with a header on his 100th appearance for the club, and Van de Ven linked up with the captain for a goal. Dejan Kulusevski impressed in an unfamiliar No. 8 role, debutant Wilson Odobert, 19, was lively, and James Maddison appeared back in top form.
Van de Ven commented, “I think we are more dangerous this year. As the manager has said, we can attack from the sides or through the middle, and Cuti [Romero] made some dangerous passes to Maddison. We have more attacking threats this season.”
He added, “We need to reach a higher level this season. Last year’s fifth-place finish was good, but we aim for more. We want to win a trophy, that’s clear.”
As Everton sought a late goal, Van de Ven won possession near his own box and surged up the field, evading two defenders before setting up Son, who finished between Pickford’s legs. Postecoglou later described Van de Ven as a “special footballer,” with the Dutch defender attributing some of his success to the manager’s encouragement of creative play.
Van de Ven said, “I decided to keep running, hoping no one could stop me. I knew Sonny was on my left, so I drove at the defender and played the ball to him at the right moment. The fans seemed to enjoy it, and it was a great moment.”
He added that he was not tempted to shoot himself, saying, “I saw Sonny and knew he would finish it off.”
Bissouma, marking his return after a suspension for inhaling laughing gas, scored his first goal for Spurs. Van de Ven praised his performance but noted that only the manager could comment on whether Bissouma’s issues were fully resolved. “Biss gave a really good performance,” he said. “He showed a lot of responsibility this week.”
