🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: Van-tastic Spurs make history | OneFootball

Are we in for the most open Premier League in years or have Arsenal already secured the title after only nine games?

Questions for another time perhaps as we run the rule over who impressed most on this latest top flight round.

Our Premier League Player of the Weekend is ...

Micky van de Ven (Tottenham)

📸 PETER POWELL - AFP or licensors

In a weekend that saw Arsenal go clear at the summit of the Premier League, it was Tottenham's Micky van de Ven who delivered the kind of performance that defenders dream about and strikers envy.

In their 3–0 win away to Everton on Sunday, the Dutchman didn’t just anchor his side's backline but inspired the north London side to a historic win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Two goals, a clean sheet and a sense of authority that never wavered. It was also the first time a senior men's side have beaten Everton at their new ground.

Centre-backs are rarely expected to find the net, let alone twice in one afternoon but that's exactly what the Dutchman did in the space of 27 minutes. His first came at the end of the opening quarter, rising above Everton’s defence to power home a corner.

The second, just before half-time, was almost identical, a carbon copy that showcased both his aerial timing and Tottenham’s growing strength from set pieces. By the time the referee blew for the break, Everton looked beaten, not by a flurry of attacking brilliance, but by a defender who refused to be contained.

Yet to reduce his impact to goals would miss the broader picture. This was a performance of complete control, the kind that reminds you how commanding a modern centre-half can be.

Everton’s forwards were repeatedly thwarted by Van de Ven’s anticipation and truly stunning acceleration. His recovery pace, often highlighted as among the best in the league, ensured that even when Tottenham’s high line was tested, panic never set in.

There was an unshowy calm to his defending, a sense that he was playing half a second ahead of everyone else on the pitch.

Statistically, it was as impressive as it looked. Van de Ven won every aerial duel he contested, completed nearly 95 per cent of his passes, and registered more touches than any Tottenham defender.

His two goals mean he now has three for the season. Tottenham, too, have quietly become one of the Premier League’s most dangerous sides from corners, with the Dutchman's growing threat a major reason why.

But what truly set his performance apart was its timing and tone. Tottenham entered the weekend knowing that victory would consolidate their place in the top four. Against a physical Everton side, this was never going to be an easy assignment but Van de Ven ensured it looked like one.

Every clearance was decisive, every duel won cleanly. When he celebrated his second goal, there was a glimpse of delight but also defiance. 

“I think the big thing here is that we're building him,” coach Thomas Frank said of Van de Ven post-game.

“I think he himself has done a lot in terms of doing everything he can to recover in the best possible way. Build his strength in the gym.

“The way he and we built him in the pre-season I think was crucial. And I think he is in a top place, getting more and more robust. So we just need to keep, as you say, be aware and do the right thing. But right now he's in a very good place.”

At just 24, van de Ven already plays with the assurance of a seasoned leader. His blend of composure, athleticism and tactical intelligence makes him one of the most complete defenders in the division, and on Sunday he married all those qualities in a single, commanding display.

In a weekend full of attacking flair, it was a centre-half who stood tallest. 

📸 PETER POWELL - AFP or licensors