In Focus: Van de Ven catching the eye after blistering start at Spurs

Micky van de Ven is enjoying a blistering start to his Tottenham career and his winner against Luton last weekend sent his new club to the top of the Premier League.

The pacey Dutchman is revered by fans who have enjoyed watching his growing partnership with World Cup winner Cristian Romero.

As the defender gears up for international duty against France tonight, we turn the spotlight on the 22-year-old.

The perfect partnership

Spurs have been in need of a quality defensive partnership since the departures of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Aldeweireld, who helped the club reach the Champions League final in 2019.

The North London outfit struggled to play compact football under Antonio Conte but the change in strategy under Ange Postecoglou paved the way for a new era at the back.

Romero and Van de Ven have only conceded eight league goals between them this term, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Last season Spurs ranked 15th for goals conceded in the top flight but the addition of the former Wolfsburg defender has provided some much-needed pace alongside Romero's composure in the defensive third.

Trust the process

Daniel Levy has put his trust in Postecoglou to oversee a huge shift in philosophy on the pitch and part of the process has included recruiting players who believe in his methods.

After securing a point at fierce rivals Arsenal, Van de Ven claimed his team-mates have to embrace playing out in dangerous areas.

He said: "He [Postecoglou] is really clear, really straight, we know what he expects from us.

 "For me as a centre-back, it is OK to imagine I lose the ball one time and a big chance comes from it and the trainer is screaming from the sides, 'Again, again, again'. 

"It gives us some trust to build up again. Of course it is risky but when you come out in a nice situation you are always like, 'Oh yeah'."

Stats don't lie

Tottenham have already played three of last season's top five in the Premier League and remain unbeaten after eight games.

And with an average of 61.4% possession in their league matches, it is no surprise to see Van de Ven rank in the top 25 for passes completed, passing accuracy and touches.

The 6ft 3in speedster has been averaging 2.75 clearances and 1.63 tackles per 90 minutes but still has some way to go if he is to match Romero's 4.89 clearances and 2.8 tackles.

His impressive performances in the Premier League earned him a second senior call-up to the Netherlands national team and he could be in line for a debut against tonight's opponents France.

Proving people wrong

Former Spurs striker Mido admits he had doubts over the Van de Ven signing but is happy to concede that he has already been proven wrong.

He said: "I understand the idea of Ange [Postecoglou] that he wants a left-footed centre-back to start from the back.

"But defensively, I was really worried that this guy would struggle in the Premier League. 

"It's not like the Dutch league, it's different. But to be honest to the lad, he's been brilliant."

Van de Ven will be hoping to play a role in helping the Netherlands qualify for Euro 2024 and a win against France will be a step in the right direction for Ronald Koeman's men.