The 24-year-old Dutchman intercepted the ball on the edge of his own penalty area and unleashed an unprecedented burst of speed. In full sprint, Van de Ven left multiple opponents in his wake, charging towards the goal without a moment's hesitation. There, he remained ice-cool, slotting the ball precisely into the near corner for a 3-0 lead. The crowd erupted, leaping to their feet as teammates mobbed him in celebration – a rare solo effort that immediately grabbed English headlines.
English Media in Disbelief
The British press was unanimous in its praise for the Dutch international's performance. The Guardian spoke of "a seventy-yard sprint that culminated in a devastating shot," while The Standard described him as "a ridiculous player with a Puskás Award-worthy goal." Football.London also awarded Van de Ven a 9 in their ratings, calling him "a defender with the flair of a winger." Spurs fans reacted en masse online: "He ran like Usain Bolt and shot like Haaland."
Even neutral media couldn't hide their admiration. BBC Sport wrote: "There are goals, and then there's what Micky van de Ven did. Impossible to defend, impossible to believe." On social media, the run went viral, with thousands of fans comparing the sprint to a young Gareth Bale during his time at Spurs.
'It felt like Lionel Messi briefly turned into Micky'
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank could only laugh after witnessing the spectacle. "It felt like Lionel Messi briefly turned into Micky," he said with a grin. "He has strength, speed, and courage – that's rare for a defender. You can see he's playing with confidence in everything he does."
Van de Ven's goal came at a notable moment. Less than a week prior, the Dutchman had to eat humble pie after an incident with his manager: following a painful 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, he and teammate Djed Spence refused to shake Frank's hand, storming off to the dressing room in anger. The Danish coach later downplayed the incident: "They were frustrated, I understand that. A day later, they came to my office to apologize. They didn't want it to look bad. We win together, we lose together."
Van de Ven Rectifies All with Magical Solo
It was also a night to remember for Xavi Simons. The attacker provided the assist for the opening goal and was the driving force behind Tottenham's play in the first half. Despite Spurs being reduced to ten men in the second half, the team secured a convincing 4-0 victory thanks to goals from Odobert, Van de Ven, and Palhinha. For Van de Ven, the night couldn't have been better: after a week of criticism and commotion, one sprint showed why he is indispensable to this Tottenham side.
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