Micky van de Ven cupped his ears in front of the Tottenham Hotspur supporters he had shunned at the weekend, urging them to create more noise and marvel at the incredible goal he’d just scored. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates, two minutes after he had received medical attention on his left hamstring. Thomas Frank had a huge grin and pointed his finger to the sky before embracing his backroom staff.
Great goals have remarkable healing powers.
After that painful defeat to London rivals Chelsea on Saturday prompted the fanbase and members of the first-team squad to publicly vent their frustration, Tuesday night’s 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen, as the league phase of the Champions League reached its four-game midway point, was exactly what Spurs and head coach Frank needed. Brennan Johnson’s red card for a careless tackle on Marcos Lopez was the only negative on an almost perfect evening.
The build-up to this match had been tense. Some fans were questioning the merits of summer appointment Frank’s project after his team recorded an xG of just 0.05 against Chelsea in what was their third home defeat of the season. Van de Ven and fellow defender Djed Spence ignored Frank and set-piece coach Andreas Georgson when they walked straight down the tunnel at full time. Tottenham were still sixth in the table after 10 Premier League games under their latest new head coach, but were cracks emerging?
Frank revealed that Van de Ven and Spence approached him separately on Sunday and both apologised for the scenes at the end of the Chelsea match. Even if the long-time Brentford manager had resolved any tension with the pair, he needed Spurs to produce a dominant performance at home to remind those chin-scratching supporters of his credentials and this team’s potential.
Johnson’s opening goal in the 19th minute was a superb finish after rounding the goalkeeper, but a chance for Randal Kolo Muani later in the half was the real indicator that something special was in the air.
Although the France international rolled a right-footed shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box, it came at the end of a beautiful, intricate passing move which featured flicks and tricks from Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Pape Matar Sarr. It is rare to see supporters applaud a striker for missing such an easy opportunity but it offered them encouragement and hope. Spurs have looked blunt in possession in other games since Frank succeeded Ange Postecoglou but they were carving Copenhagen apart even without summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who was absent after picking up a knock. For a team who have been over-reliant on set pieces this season, it was pleasing to see all four goals last night come from open play.
Kolo Muani should have scored with a headed chance a few minutes on from that first miss, but his assist for Odobert early in the second half made up for it. The 26-year-old chased down Pedro Porro’s pass, blocked goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski’s clearance and elegantly plucked the spinning ball out of the air before teeing up his team-mate. Odobert, who produced his best performance of the season, roared in delight.
Johnson’s dismissal on the hour mark threatened to ruin the evening. Copenhagen head coach Jacob Neestrup scrambled his players and assistants together to work out how to take advantage of the extra man. The impressive Simons was the Spurs player sacrificed for the midfield solidity of Joao Palhinha. Frank admitted afterwards that what happened next, with Van de Ven’s mesmeric strike and Cristian Romero’s assist for Palhinha three minutes later, was not part of his plans.
“That’s the beauty of football,” he said. “The players take initiative and do a lot of bits on their own. That’s fantastic to have players that do that.”
The entire crowd erupted. The fans, who were quiet in the first half, started loudly singing. Kolo Muani received a standing ovation when he went off for Richarlison. Academy graduate Dane Scarlett was serenaded for winning a penalty in stoppage time. Sure, Richarlison’s spot kick then crashed against the bar, but nothing could ruin the vibe.
Maybe it is premature to suggest that this result has brought Frank significantly closer to the supporters, due to the quality of the opposition Tottenham were facing, but it felt like an important stepping stone on that journey. At the halfway stage of the league phase, Spurs are unbeaten and have eight points, which puts them in a strong position to avoid the play-off round in February for those sides finishing ninth to 24th in the 35-strong competition.
To underline the sense of fun, and that their woeful performance against Chelsea will hopefully not become the norm, Frank joked afterwards about his Saturday altercation with Van de Ven. “It seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scoring a fantastic goal,” the 52-year-old Dane said. “I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he’s angry after a game.”
Simons was unfortunate to be taken off because he had been excellent. Another of the club’s summer buys, he roamed across the final third, dropping into pockets of space so Copenhagen’s defenders and midfielders were confused about who should be marking him. Full-back Udogie also demonstrated why he is crucial to the team’s attacking balance by stretching the play and offering a crossing option with his left foot.
Copenhagen are fourth in the Danish top flight but have taken one point from four fixtures in the Champions League and were missing key players including midfielders Thomas Delaney and Magnus Mattsson and their first-choice right-back Rodrigo Huescas due to injury. Anything other than a convincing home victory here would have been a surprise.
Van de Ven is Spurs’ top goalscorer this season (six in all competitions), with Palhinha and Johnson joint-second (four). Richarlison has not scored since the 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in September. Newcomers Kolo Muani and Simons are still waiting to open their accounts. Frank was pleased by the performance of his attacking unit but said, “all of them have much more to come”.
Tottenham’s thrashing of Copenhagen was a step in the right direction after they suffered more misery against Chelsea, but this now needs to be backed up with a victory over Manchester United at home on Saturday.