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Tottenham news: Curtis Davies on Micky van de Ven's solo goal

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'He was at full tilt' - Davies on Van de Ven - BBC
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Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies says Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven finished his 64th-minute goal against Copenhagen "like a proper centre-forward" to maintain the club's unbeaten start in the Champions League.

"We saw a stark contrast to the Micky van de Ven that was walking off the pitch at the weekend [after the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea] all disappointed," said Davies on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Initially I said it was like the George Weah run but I think I gave him too much credit there, so I'm going to say it was more like Son Heung-min's goal against Burnley.

"He slotted it away like a proper centre-forward as well, what a finish it was. It was brilliant because he was at full tilt and full pace, and then he just slotted it into the bottom corner with his left foot.

"Copenhagen capitulated after Tottenham's red card. Van de Ven's goal was just ridiculous, there were four players around him so you would have thought one of them could have put in a 'good foul' as us centre-backs call it, but nobody did.

"Really and truly it could have been about 7-0 to Tottenham and you still wouldn't have walked away scratching your head as to how it had happened."

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World Cup qualifiers: Ben Davies back to lead Wales for crucial games

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Davies back to lead Wales for crucial qualifiers - BBC
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Ben Davies has been included in the Wales squad for their final World Cup qualifying group games against Liechtenstein and North Macedonia, despite missing the past month with injury.

The 32-year-old Tottenham Hotspur defender has not played since picking up a hamstring problem in October's defeat by Belgium on 13 October.

But he returns for the trip to Liechtenstein on Saturday 15 November, with Wales then hosting North Macedonia in Cardiff the following Tuesday.

Davies will continue to lead Wales, as regular captain Aaron Ramsey is once again absent.

Midfielder Ramsey, 34, has missed the entirety of the campaign with fitness issues and has not been selected amid reports he has quit Mexican side Pumas UNAM.

Davies has captained the side in Ramsey's absence and is joined in Craig Bellamy's 26-man squad by fit-again Leeds United winger Dan James.

An ankle problem saw the 27-year-old pull out of last month's squad for the friendly game with England at Wembley and the qualifying clash with Belgium.

His replacement, Cardiff City's Isaak Davies, drops out of the squad, although Cardiff City midfielder Rubin Colwill keeps his place.

Colwill, 23, was only called into October's squad as a replacement and his omission in recent months has caused some debate among supporters and pundits given his League One form.

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Fan views on Champions League game

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Fan views on Champions League game - BBC
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We asked for your views after Tuesday's Champions League game between Tottenham and Copenhagen.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Micky van de Ven's goal was fantastic. I know it was only a lesser team, but what a difference from the Chelsea match and we still scored after going down to 10 men. Same again against Manchester United at the weekend please!

Steve: Better! Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani are looking better but still not up to Premier League pace. Van de Ven is quality and that's a contender for goal of the season. If he wasn't such a good centre-back, I'd turn him into the next Gareth Bale!

Connor: So inconsistent week in week out. How can a team be awful in the Premier League then put on a performance like that in the Champion League?

Gary: Nowhere near the intensity of the Premier League, which suited Tottenham. Still an impressive performance.

James: Copenhagen were very weak, giving away the first two goals, then conceding another two to 10 men. Not really a basis to say that Spurs have turned a corner. Nice to see Simons come good though.

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Analysis of stunning Micky van de Ven goal

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Analysis of stunning Micky van de Ven goal - BBC
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You know you have scored a special goal when you are being compared to Lionel Messi.

Even more so if you are a centre-half.

With Tottenham leading 2-0 but down to 10 men and coming under pressure from opponents Copenhagen, Micky van de Ven could have been forgiven for launching the ball to safety when he got it on the edge of his own penalty area.

But the Netherlands defender had other ideas.

Off he went, sprinting past one, two, three players, squeezing past another two near the halfway line and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to get through on goal with the Spurs fans rising as one in anticipation.

And the finish did not disappoint, with Van de Ven slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, before being mobbed by jubilant team-mates having scored one of the great Champions League goals.

Afterwards, boss Thomas Frank said it was like "Lionel Messi had turned into Van de Ven".

"It's one of the best goals you will ever see, ever," said former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports.

"He runs past players like they're not even there. To stay strong and then to finish, that's ridiculous. Goal of the season, game over."

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking on Match of the Day: Champions League added: "It's top. Really, really good.

"When defenders go on those runs, it's hard to understand who should stop them. With the size and the speed he has, we actually saw a player on the other side of the pitch who wanted nothing to do with him."

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Tottenham transfer rumours: Yann Bisseck, Rodrygo

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Tottenham transfer rumours: Yann Bisseck, Rodrygo - BBC
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Inter Milan's Germany defender Yann Bisseck, 24, is keen on a move to England, with Tottenham and West Ham possible destinations. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Brazil forward Rodrygo wants to leave Real Madrid in January, with Tottenham and Arsenal interested in the 24-year-old. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head - BBC
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Tottenham completed the Premier League double over Manchester United last season – they last won three consecutive league games against the Red Devils in 1959/1960.

Manchester United are winless in their last seven meetings with Tottenham in all competitions (D2 L5), losing each of the last four – the last team to win five in a row against the Red Devils were Liverpool between 2000 and 2002.

No side has lost more home Premier League matches in 2025 than Tottenham Hotspur (9). Only in 1994 and 2003 (10 in each) have Spurs reached double figures for home defeats in a year in their league history.

Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W3 D1), their joint best run under manager Rúben Amorim, while United last had a longer run without losing in January/February 2024 (five games), which was also the last time they netted two or more goals in five in a row.

Across spells with Brentford and Spurs, Thomas Frank has suffered nine defeats in his last 16 home Premier League matches (W3 D4). Before this run, his Brentford side had won seven of their previous eight home games (D1).

Only Liverpool (156) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than Manchester United (153) and no side has had more shots on target than they have (54). 66.7% of their shots have come from inside the box this season (102/153), their highest ratio since 2012-13 (66.8%), their last title-winning season.

Spurs registered an xG of just 0.1 in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on MD10, the lowest by a team in a Premier League match so far this season. They are averaging just 9.7 shots per game this season (97 in 10 games), their lowest average in a Premier League campaign on record since 1997-98.

Only three teams have given a lower proportion of minutes to English players in the Premier League this season than Spurs (7.8%) – it’s their lowest in a single campaign (previous lowest was 8.2% in 2023-24).

Only against Southampton and Brighton (5) has Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo scored more Premier League goals than he has against Spurs (4), with three of his four against them coming at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has 53 Premier League assists – since his debut in February 2020, only Mohamed Salah (64) and Kevin De Bruyne (58) have more. He’s assisted in his last two away games and is looking to do so in three away appearances in a row for the first time since November 2020.

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Champions League reaction: Liverpool beat Real, as Arsenal & Spurs win

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Champions League reaction: Liverpool beat Real, as Arsenal & Spurs win - BBC
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Good morning!

It's Bonfire Night tonight and with another busy evening of Champions League football to come, we can all expect a few fireworks tonight!

Last night's action wasn't short of excitement with a couple of heavyweight clashes and all three English teams claiming important wins.

We'll be getting stuck into all of that, so get yourself settled with a brew and we'll begin...

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Destiny Udogie: Tottenham full-back allegedly threatened with a gun in London

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Destiny Udogie: Tottenham full-back allegedly threatened with a gun in London - BBC
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Tottenham say they are supporting Destiny Udogie after confirming the Italy defender was allegedly threatened with a gun by a football agent.

On Monday, BBC Sport reported an unnamed Premier League footballer was targeted in London on 6 September.

Another man is also alleged to have been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual during the incident in question. No injuries were reported.

The Metropolitan police, who are investigating, said a 31-year-old man was arrested on 8 September on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a licence. He has been bailed while enquiries continue.

In a statement on Tuesday, Spurs said: "We have been providing support for Destiny and his family since the incident and will continue to do so. Given this is a legal matter, we cannot comment any further."

The 22-year-old Udogie joined Spurs from Udinese for £15m on a five-year deal in the summer of 2022, before immediately returning to the Serie A club on a season-long loan.

He returned to Tottenham for the start of the 2023-24 campaign and has made 76 appearances for the club.

The Italian has played 10 times this season, including Tuesday night's 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the league phase of the Champions League.

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'It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven'

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'It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven' - BBC
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You know you have scored a special goal when you are being compared to Lionel Messi.

Even more so if you are a centre-half.

With Tottenham leading 2-0 but down to 10 men and coming under pressure from opponents Copenhagen, Micky van de Ven could have been forgiven for launching the ball to safety when he got it on the edge of his own penalty area.

But the Netherlands defender had other ideas.

Off he went, sprinting past one, two, three players, squeezing past another two near the halfway line and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to get through on goal with the Spurs fans rising as one in anticipation.

And the finish did not disappoint, with Van de Ven slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, before being mobbed by jubilant team-mates having scored one of the great Champions League goals.

"It seems like Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, running from his own goal down the other end to score," said Spurs boss Thomas Frank after his side thrashed Danish side Copenhagen 4-0 to maintain their unbeaten start to their Champions League campaign with two wins and two draws from their four games.

Van de Ven, 24, joined Tottenham in a £34m move from Wolfsburg in August 2023 and has recently added goals to his repertoire.

He scored in the Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain in August, with further goals coming in the 3-0 win at West Ham, the 2-2 Champions League draw at Bodo Glimt and then two in the 3-0 victory at Everton last month.

But none of those can compare to the one he got on Tuesday.

"I started dribbling and thought I would see if they would catch up and they didn't," Van de Ven told TNT Sports.

"I was feeling good, and I felt amazing in the sprint, I felt like I could keep going."

While Van de Ven tried to stay calm about the quality of his goal, others were far more enthusiastic.

"It's one of the best goals you will ever see, ever," said former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports.

"He runs past players like they're not even there. To stay strong and then to finish, that's ridiculous. Goal of the season, game over."

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking on Match of the Day: Champions League added: "It's top. Really, really good.

"It's like when he assisted at Old Trafford last season [when he ran more than half the length of the pitch before setting up Brennan Johnson in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United].

"When defenders go on those runs, it's hard to understand who should stop them. With the size and the speed he has, we actually saw a player on the other side of the pitch who wanted nothing to do with him."

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Premier League defender Curtis Davies added: "He kind of stepped out looking for a pass and nothing was on. Once he saw the space ahead of him he knew nobody was catching him. He was at full tilt, full pace."

The goal has also drawn comparisons to Son Heung-min's effort against Burnley in 2019, a winding run which earned the ex-Tottenham forward the 2020 Puskas award.

For Tottenham and Frank it was a much-needed victory after his side had been booed off the pitch at the end of their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

That extended a run of only one point from three successive home Premier League matches, even though they had picked up five points from their opening three games in the Champions League.

Frank urged the fans to back the team and the supporters responded as they, along with a passionate following from the visitors, helped create a superb atmosphere.

The home mood was helped when Tottenham took a 19th-minute lead through Brennan Johnson, before Wilson Odobert added a second soon after the restart to put Spurs in control.

That threatened to change when Johnson was sent off, after Belgian official Erik Lambrechts had been sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee to review the Welshman's sliding challenge on to the ankle of Marcos Lopez.

But Van de Ven's moment of magic quickly ended any hope of a fightback as Copenhagen, despite having a man advantage, crumbled with Joao Palhinha adding a fourth. There was almost a fifth but Richarlison hit the crossbar with a penalty in added time.

"We're progressing forwards, but we are not where we want to be," admitted Frank afterwards. "I saw a good performance, which I'm happy with. We talked about bounce-back mentality and there will be setbacks in football, it's how you react after a bad spell. We controlled the game from minute one."

For Van de Ven, it has been a mixed few days.

After the game against Chelsea, television footage showed he and team-mate Djed Spence appearing to snub Frank, when the Dane had gestured for them to go and acknowledge the home supporters.

Both players apologised after the incident, with Frank drawing a line under the matter in Monday's news conference

Following Van de Ven's goal, which will be talked about for years to come, Frank joked about the Dutchman: "He can keep walking past me if he is angry if he delivers like that."

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Analysis - Impressive display leaves Spurs fans much happier

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Tottenham 4-0 Copenhagen: Analysis - Impressive display leaves Spurs fans much happier - BBC
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Four days is clearly a long time in football. On Saturday, Tottenham produced a weak display, with only one attempt on target as they fell to a tame loss to Chelsea, with pressure mounting on Thomas Frank.

But this reaction was exactly what both Spurs and Frank needed, with a jubilant home support clearly loving what they were seeing.

When the home side went down to 10 men just after the hour-mark, most in the ground would have got nervous and expected a Copenhagen fightback.

Frank took off the superb Xavi Simons to strengthen the midfield by bringing on Joao Palhinha and it became a lesson in how to play with a man disadvantage, countering with pace and looking a threat every time they progressed.

In the end, the winning margin could have been wider with Richarlison, who had earlier hit the post, firing his 93rd-minute penalty against the underside of the crossbar.

Spurs opened the scoring in the 19th minute, pouncing on Gabriel Pereira's loose pass, which was collected by Rodrigo Bentancur and moved on to the excellent Simons.

He played a clever pass over the visiting defence and Brennan Johnson, who scored the only goal when Spurs beat Manchester United in the Europa League final to qualify for this tournament, kept his composure to go around the advancing goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski before calmly finishing.

Wilson Odobert added a second after Randal Kolo Muani had charged down a clearance from Kotarski, before Johnson's dismissal.

But the tension was lifted by Micky van de Ven's incredible individual effort, with Palhinha adding a fourth.

Tottenham fans had been unhappy with their home form, which had seen them only pick up one point from their past three Premier League games, but this was a perfect way to get the supporters back on side.

Credit also must go to the Copenhagen fans, who created a superb atmosphere as they did not stop chanting, singing and bouncing, even though their team were handed a thrashing by a rampant Spurs outfit.

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