Micky van de Ven played a key role in Tottenham beating the drop on the final day of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur secured their top-flight status on the final day of the season following a crucial 1-0 victory against Everton.
The great escape was masterminded by Roberto De Zerbi, who only took the reins in late March. Spurs had only won seven matches from their first 31 fixtures. However, De Zerbi recorded three wins, two draws, and two defeats in his seven games in charge to save the ship from sinking into Championship waters.
West Ham beat Leeds United 3-0 and would have survived had Tottenham lost to Everton, but instead, the Irons will join Burnley and Wolves in the Championship in 2026-27. Sunday’s win was Tottenham’s first on home soil in the Premier League since December, when they beat Brentford 2-0, and only their third of the season. That is the joint-fewest home wins by a team to survive relegation in a single Premier League campaign, along with Hull City in 2008-09.
Micky van de Ven makes an honest admission after Tottenham beat the drop on the final day
Despite De Zerbi masterminding a miraculous survival, Micky van de Ven expressed his immense frustration at Spurs’ diabolical campaign after the club narrowly avoided Premier League relegation on the final day. The central defender branded their domestic season as entirely “unacceptable” and “embarrassing” for a squad filled with talent.
“It is unacceptable that the last game we played this season we play for relegation. This club has some unbelievable players. It was embarrassing to let it come to the final day, but we did it, and that is what is important,” Micky van de Ven said on BBC MOTD (h/t BBC Sport).
“To be honest, I was more emotional at the end of the final whistle, it has been a tough season for me personally as well. I played almost every game, and I have suffered a lot, the emotions are really happy, and we must not let it happen again.”
De Zerbi will hope Van de Ven stays
De Zerbi has made his transfer demands clear already after Sunday’s game. The Italian will also hope Van de Ven stays put at the club. The Netherlands international, who has been called the best centre-back in the Premier League by the Spurs boss, endured an up-and-down season. It is safe to say he finished the season on a high, acting as a stand-in skipper for the injured Cristian Romero and helping the club achieve its objective.
Van de Ven bagged seven goals and an assist in 45 games across all competitions. The Dutch star seemed to regain his best form in the back end of the campaign, which of course, was instrumental in the club’s relegation run-in.