Vantastic

Are we in for essentially the most open Premier League in years or have Arsenal already secured the title after solely 9 video games?

Questions for an additional time maybe as we run the rule over who impressed most on this newest high flight spherical.

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Our Premier League Participant of the Weekend is …

Micky van de Ven (Tottenham)

📸 PETER POWELL – AFP or licensors

In a weekend that noticed Arsenal go clear on the summit of the Premier League, it was Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven who delivered the form of efficiency that defenders dream about and strikers envy.

Of their 3–0 win away to Everton on Sunday, the Dutchman didn’t simply anchor his aspect’s backline however impressed the north London aspect to a historic win on the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Two targets, a clear sheet and a way of authority that by no means wavered. It was additionally the primary time a senior males’s aspect have overwhelmed Everton at their new floor.

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Centre-backs are not often anticipated to seek out the online, not to mention twice in a single afternoon however that is precisely what the Dutchman did within the house of 27 minutes. His first got here on the finish of the opening quarter, rising above Everton’s defence to energy dwelling a nook.

The second, simply earlier than half-time, was virtually an identical, a carbon copy that showcased each his aerial timing and Tottenham’s rising power from set items. By the point the referee blew for the break, Everton appeared overwhelmed, not by a flurry of attacking brilliance, however by a defender who refused to be contained.

But to cut back his affect to targets would miss the broader image. This was a efficiency of full management, the sort that reminds you the way commanding a contemporary centre-half will be.

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Everton’s forwards have been repeatedly thwarted by Van de Ven’s anticipation and really beautiful acceleration. His restoration tempo, typically highlighted as among the many greatest within the league, ensured that even when Tottenham’s excessive line was examined, panic by no means set in.

There was an unshowy calm to his defending, a way that he was enjoying half a second forward of everybody else on the pitch.

Statistically, it was as spectacular because it appeared. Van de Ven gained each aerial duel he contested, accomplished practically 95 per cent of his passes, and registered extra touches than any Tottenham defender.

His two targets imply he now has three for the season. Tottenham, too, have quietly change into one of many Premier League’s most harmful sides from corners, with the Dutchman’s rising menace a serious motive why.

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However what really set his efficiency aside was its timing and tone. Tottenham entered the weekend realizing that victory would consolidate their place within the high 4. Towards a bodily Everton aspect, this was by no means going to be a straightforward project however Van de Ven ensured it appeared like one.

Each clearance was decisive, each duel gained cleanly. When he celebrated his second aim, there was a glimpse of enjoyment but additionally defiance.

“I feel the large factor right here is that we’re constructing him,” coach Thomas Frank stated of Van de Ven post-game.

“I feel he himself has executed lots when it comes to doing all the pieces he can to get better in the very best method. Construct his power within the fitness center.

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“The way in which he and we constructed him within the pre-season I feel was essential. And I feel he’s in a high place, getting increasingly strong. So we simply must maintain, as you say, remember and do the appropriate factor. However proper now he is in an excellent place.”

At simply 24, van de Ven already performs with the peace of mind of a seasoned chief. His mix of composure, athleticism and tactical intelligence makes him one of the crucial full defenders within the division, and on Sunday he married all these qualities in a single, commanding show.

In a weekend stuffed with attacking aptitude, it was a centre-half who stood tallest.

📸 PETER POWELL – AFP or licensors