North London outfit Tottenham Hotspur took on Manchester United in the Premier League this weekend and it turned out to be a thriller. A pair of late goals saw the game end 2-2, but one Spurs star stood out amidst all the chaos.
The game was fairly dull in the opening stages, but a mix-up at the back saw Man United win possession in a dangerous area. Amad Diallo, who had a great game, eventually crossed to Bryan Mbeumo, who headed home against former manager Thomas Frank just after the half-hour mark.
Tottenham eventually got themselves level through Mathys Tel in the 84th minute, before Richarlison then gave the home team a lead. Somehow, though, Man Utd fought back to claim a point with Matthijs de Ligt heading home in the 96th minute.
Micky van de Ven Stars Against United
Although Tottenham looked blunt in attack for the majority of the first half, they turned things up a notch after the interval. And while praise will be reserved for the goalscorers, supporters were equally indebted to centre-back Micky van de Ven for his efforts.
The highlight from his game came with the score still at 1-1. Although Tottenham had been the much better team in the second half, they came very close to conceding when substitute Benjamin Sesko was played through on goal. But the Dutchman charged back, making a crucial sliding tackle which caused the ball to ricochet off the attacker and into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Watch the tackle below:
That was far from his only contribution to the day though, with Van de Ven winning a number of his duels and making five recoveries to help keep United from adding to their lead in normal time. But this was just the latest performance in a special season for the 24-year-old, who also scored what could potentially end up being the goal of the season against Copenhagen in the Champions League.
With speed, goals and, most importantly, defensive intelligence in abundance, he is proving that he is up there with the best defenders in world football presently. He's been crucial to Thomas Frank's success so far this term and will likely have a big say on how high the Lilywhites end up finishing in the table.
Fans Praise 'World Class' Micky van de Ven
Fans were very impressed by what they saw from Van de Ven on Saturday afternoon, with many lauding him as "world class" on social media. Following his last-ditch tackle on Sesko, one wrote:
"Micky Van De Ven.. that is world class..."
Another added: "Van de Ven is world class. What a tackle." Along the same theme, others added, "Van De Ven is genuinely world class," while football.london's Tottenham correspondent, Alisdair Gold, wrote: "Brilliant tackle from Van de Ven to deny Sesko at the last moment."
Although Tottenham's squad is stacked with talent, many believe that their Dutch centre-back stands out as one of their best players. One fan said, "Micky Van De Ven is special," while a separate fan tweeted, "Spurs have a lot of potential players, especially Van de Ven... he is so amazing."
A final selection of fans believe that the Dutchman is without equal in English football, with one supporter writing: "Van de Ven elite. One of the best in the league." That sentiment was echoed by another fan, who said: "VAN. DE VEN. BEST IN THE LEAGUE."
Alongside his centre-back partner, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven forms the bedrock of Tottenham's performances under Frank. If he can stay fit, there is every reason to think that Spurs can achieve something special this year.