Arsene Wenger praises ‘excellent’ Tottenham signing Ange Postecoglou want in january
The Spurs boss has conjured something of a revolution at the north London club, with his side sat at the top of the Premier League for the first time since August 2021. Goals from Son Heung-min and a Joel Ward own goal against Crystal Palace on Friday night made sure they’d stay there for at least another weekend, with rivals Arsenal and Manchester City still two points behind.
The result over Roy Hodgson’s Eagles also meant they continued their unbeaten run, now having won eight of their last nine in the league, silencing any doubters that may have questioned their capabilities after losing talisman Harry Kane late on in August.
One player who shone in the win at Selhurst Park was centre-back Micky Van de Ven, with the defender having registered a fantastic 99% pass completion rate alongside Christian Romero, the pair combining for 236 passes, almost 100 more than Palace managed (147) all game. The star arrived from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg but looks to have had no problem adjusting to the pace of the Premier League.
If anything, the £43m fee they paid for him looks to be a bargain, with Van de Ven clearly one of Postecoglou’s most vital assets. The 22-year-old has played every minute of league football possible so far this season, and has already popped up with important contributions including a winning goal against Luton Town earlier this month.
And he’s not gone unnoticed, with Wenger pointing that while many are highlighting James Maddison as the best signing of the summer, Van de Ven is going under the radar. He told beIN Sports: “They bought [James] Maddison, who is a great player and who is that link from low midfield to high midfield, and added some technical creativity to the team.
