Tottenham Hotspur

Bardi
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been a place of dreams and magic for visiting teams in the Premier League over the past 18 months.

But against Copenhagen, just as the match looked to take a disappointing turn, Spurs conjured up enough magic of their own to keep their Champions League story alive.

At the heart of this tale, which will live on for quite some time, was our Dutch centre-back.

Micky van de Ven has been a club favourite for a while. His speed and on-field demeanour make him a likeable character, but over the past 12 months, he has achieved a cult-like status that has now smashed its way to a legendary one. Goals make you great, and Micky scored one of the greatest in our history.

Sensational goals and moments of magic are something us Spurs fans have been brought up on.

Before social media, young fans would lean close to hear the older lot chat about the glory days as you made your way to the stadium. In the modern era, we are lucky that each goal is captured in high definition, and on Tuesday night, Micky added his moment to our story.

It was a goal that actually looked pretty simple, but the greats make brilliance look easy. The physical and technical ability to be able to run at full tilt, controlling the ball while under pressure, is something us mere mortals can only dream of.

It is why we pay the money to go and watch this game. The finish, however, is what made it a masterpiece.

In a season where our strikers have misfired, Micky showed them exactly how it is done. A strike worthy of a Puskas award, a moment worthy of being replayed for the rest of our history, and a goal that eases the pressure on our manager and team.

Spurs have been accused of being boring and mundane in recent weeks, but last night was a fairytale.

Everything went perfectly, and even a missed penalty and a sending off could not take the shine off a big, magical win.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch, external

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies says Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven finished his 64th-minute goal against Copenhagen "like a proper centre-forward" to maintain the club's unbeaten start in the Champions League.

"We saw a stark contrast to the Micky van de Ven that was walking off the pitch at the weekend [after the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea] all disappointed," said Davies on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Initially I said it was like the George Weah run but I think I gave him too much credit there, so I'm going to say it was more like Son Heung-min's goal against Burnley.

"He slotted it away like a proper centre-forward as well, what a finish it was. It was brilliant because he was at full tilt and full pace, and then he just slotted it into the bottom corner with his left foot.

"Copenhagen capitulated after Tottenham's red card. Van de Ven's goal was just ridiculous, there were four players around him so you would have thought one of them could have put in a 'good foul' as us centre-backs call it, but nobody did.

"Really and truly it could have been about 7-0 to Tottenham and you still wouldn't have walked away scratching your head as to how it had happened."

Listen to Football Daily on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Tuesday's Champions League game between Tottenham and Copenhagen.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Micky van de Ven's goal was fantastic. I know it was only a lesser team, but what a difference from the Chelsea match and we still scored after going down to 10 men. Same again against Manchester United at the weekend please!

Steve: Better! Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani are looking better but still not up to Premier League pace. Van de Ven is quality and that's a contender for goal of the season. If he wasn't such a good centre-back, I'd turn him into the next Gareth Bale!

Connor: So inconsistent week in week out. How can a team be awful in the Premier League then put on a performance like that in the Champion League?

Gary: Nowhere near the intensity of the Premier League, which suited Tottenham. Still an impressive performance.

James: Copenhagen were very weak, giving away the first two goals, then conceding another two to 10 men. Not really a basis to say that Spurs have turned a corner. Nice to see Simons come good though.

Stan: Great to see some creative football at last, albeit against modest opponents but it should have been by a wider margin. We can't afford to miss as many chances against top opposition although Micky's goal deserves the Puskas award (is it Van de Son or Son de Ven?). Let's hope we can keep the momentum going.

• Follow your club here

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

You know you have scored a special goal when you are being compared to Lionel Messi.

Even more so if you are a centre-half.

With Tottenham leading 2-0 but down to 10 men and coming under pressure from opponents Copenhagen, Micky van de Ven could have been forgiven for launching the ball to safety when he got it on the edge of his own penalty area.

But the Netherlands defender had other ideas.

Off he went, sprinting past one, two, three players, squeezing past another two near the halfway line and outpacing a Copenhagen defender to get through on goal with the Spurs fans rising as one in anticipation.

And the finish did not disappoint, with Van de Ven slotting the ball past goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, before being mobbed by jubilant team-mates having scored one of the great Champions League goals.

Image source, Getty Images

Afterwards, boss Thomas Frank said it was like "Lionel Messi had turned into Van de Ven".

"It's one of the best goals you will ever see, ever," said former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves on TNT Sports.

"He runs past players like they're not even there. To stay strong and then to finish, that's ridiculous. Goal of the season, game over."

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, speaking on Match of the Day: Champions League added: "It's top. Really, really good.

"When defenders go on those runs, it's hard to understand who should stop them. With the size and the speed he has, we actually saw a player on the other side of the pitch who wanted nothing to do with him."

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former Premier League defender Curtis Davies added: "He kind of stepped out looking for a pass and nothing was on. Once he saw the space ahead of him he knew nobody was catching him.

"He was at full tilt, full pace."

Read more on the stunning goal here

Inter Milan's Germany defender Yann Bisseck, 24, is keen on a move to England, with Tottenham and West Ham possible destinations. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external

Brazil forward Rodrygo wants to leave Real Madrid in January, with Tottenham and Arsenal interested in the 24-year-old. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist at Tottenham Hotspur stadium

Image source, Getty Images

Four days is clearly a long time in football. On Saturday, Tottenham produced a weak display, with only one attempt on target as they fell to a tame loss to Chelsea, with pressure mounting on Thomas Frank.

But this reaction was exactly what both Spurs and Frank needed, with a jubilant home support clearly loving what they were seeing.

When the home side went down to 10 men just after the hour-mark, most in the ground would have got nervous and expected a Copenhagen fightback.

Frank took off the superb Xavi Simons to strengthen the midfield by bringing on Joao Palhinha and it became a lesson in how to play with a man disadvantage, countering with pace and looking a threat every time they progressed.

In the end, the winning margin could have been wider with Richarlison, who had earlier hit the post, firing his 93rd-minute penalty against the underside of the crossbar.

Spurs opened the scoring in the 19th minute, pouncing on Gabriel Pereira's loose pass, which was collected by Rodrigo Bentancur and moved on to the excellent Simons.

He played a clever pass over the visiting defence and Brennan Johnson, who scored the only goal when Spurs beat Manchester United in the Europa League final to qualify for this tournament, kept his composure to go around the advancing goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski before calmly finishing.

Wilson Odobert added a second after Randal Kolo Muani had charged down a clearance from Kotarski, before Johnson's dismissal.

But the tension was lifted by Micky van de Ven's incredible individual effort, with Palhinha adding a fourth.

Tottenham fans had been unhappy with their home form, which had seen them only pick up one point from their past three Premier League games, but this was a perfect way to get the supporters back on side.

Credit also must go to the Copenhagen fans, who created a superb atmosphere as they did not stop chanting, singing and bouncing, even though their team were handed a thrashing by a rampant Spurs outfit.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspurs manager Thomas Frank, speaking to TNT Sport: "I am very happy with a lot of things. I think in life and football after a bad performance or situation it is about how you react.

"We call it a bounce-back mentality and our players have had a great bounce-back mentality in the last few days. They have wanted to turn things around and win, which we did.

"I think it was an impressive win because we controlled the game from minute one. We got the red card and the players found another level which was super impressive."

On Brennan Johnson's red card: "You can always say it is unnecessary but in the moment, when he goes down there, he has no intention to do anything that will get him a red card.

"I think it is quite harsh and I think VAR see it from still footage and that makes it much more brutal. I don't think he did anything reckless.

On Micky van de Ven's goal: "That could be goal of the season. It was like [Lionel] Messi turned into a centre-back. It seems like [Cristian] Romero didn't want to stand down for his other centre mate too. That was also a great goal."

Defender Van de Ven, also speaking to TNT Sports: "That is for sure what we needed after a tough one at the weekend. We needed to bounce back and we did.

On scoring his goal: "I started dribbling and thought that I would see if they would catch up and they didn't.

"I am feeling good, and I felt amazing in the sprint, I felt like I could keep going. [Cristian] Romero stayed calm as well [for Joao Palhinha goal]. When I saw him in front I wondered why he was there.

"When we got the red card I thought it was going to be tough but we stayed cool, we did what we needed to do and we killed the game off."

Did you know?

• Brennan Johnson became the first ever British player to score and be sent off in the same Champions League game.

• Micky van de Ven has struck six goals across all competitions for Tottenham in 2025-26, with Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo the only defender to net more for a top five European side (seven).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero is able to start for the first time in a month after recovering from an adductor injury.

He is one of five changes from the Spurs side that disappointed in the 1-0 Premier League loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

There are also starts for Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons.

There are nine games in the Champions League on Tuesday and BBC Sport will be bringing you every moment.

• Napoli v Eintracht Frankfurt (17:45)

• Slavia Prague v Arsenal (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Atletico Madrid v Union Saint-Gilloise

• Bodo/Glimt v Monaco

• Juventus v Sporting

• Liverpool v Real Madrid - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Olympiacos v PSV

• Paris St-Germain v Bayern Munich

• Tottenham Hotspur v Copenhagen - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

All kick-off times 20:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

You can also listen to 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Real Madrid", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

Canada forward Jonathan David, 25, might make a January move to Tottenham or Bayern Munich having struggled to settle in at Juventus since moving to the Serie A club in the summer. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Copenhagen (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Lucas Bergvall has concussion so is unavailable, but Frank praised his medical team for dealing with it well despite it being "a tricky situation" at the time.

• Mohammed Kudus and Djed Spence both picked up knocks but could still be in contention for Tuesday's game.

• On the behaviour of Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after Saturday's game: "Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation. They didn't want it to look bad or disrespectful - any misconception that you can get in this beautiful media world. They were just frustrated with the performance from the loss and the booing during the game."

• He said the boos were "more than fair" after the final whistle because it was another home defeat, but added: "During the game, we need the fans."

• On facing Danish opponents: "I follow the results and the league as I still have good friends and colleagues working at different clubs. They are not in the best place but they are a very good team. I expect it to be a difficult game."

• More on Copenhagen: "No matter if a team are in or out of form, the next game is when everything can change so we prepare like normal. We are very aware of their strengths and areas we might want to exploit. I expect a tough tactical challenge."

• Frank said "the best way to get back on track is a good performance and a win at home".

Follow all of Monday's news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Last week Tottenham Hotspur offered Halloween-themed tours of the stadium. Turns out they saved the biggest jump scare for Saturday evening.

While Spurs' performance against Chelsea was shockingly bad, the behaviour that followed the full-time whistle was potentially even more alarming.

We all understand players are humans and cannot always be perfect role models. They have feelings just like fans, and we often enjoy seeing players express their emotions as that helps us connect to them as people, not just footballers.

So, was Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence's refusal to thank the fans after the game on Saturday just an expression of frustration and disappointment, or does it point to a more significant issue for Thomas Frank?

Leadership matters, especially in difficult moments. For both of these players to dismiss their manager so publicly proves that there is still work for Frank to do behind the scenes.

For one of those players to be his vice-captain – well, that reveals something about the growth needed for Van de Ven too.

Although the Dutchman was not alone in ignoring his manager, he was leading the way, literally and also figuratively as vice-captain. Arguably, had he stopped, spoken with Frank, and then turned around to join the rest of his team-mates, chances are Spence would have followed him.

No doubt Frank will have addressed this with the players privately since Saturday, not just with van de Ven and Spence, but the rest of the squad too.

Clearly, something is not gelling yet for Frank's Spurs – but in order for progress to be made, everyone needs to be working as a team.

Despite Saturday's abject performance, I am still convinced that Frank is the right man for the job and just needs time.

Hopefully the players think so too.

Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence shunning manager Thomas Frank at full-time after the defeat to Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Edward: I'm not worried about Van de Ven ignoring Thomas Frank. I think there was a lot of embarrassment at Spurs' general performance. This Tottenham team were embarrassed, which is good and will mean they will learn from this. I just hope they turn their performances around quickly.

Paul: Not worried at all. I would be more concerned had the players been someone other than Van de Ven and Spence, who have both been excellent so far this season. I think they were just frustrated at the way the game went and just wanted to get down the tunnel. I would be more worried if they weren't upset at a performance like the one on Saturday night.

Geoff: Frustration and embarrassment. If I had played like that, I wouldn't want to face the fans. Worst performance of the season.

Rob: When you watch it, it feels like they're snubbing Frank, but in reality, I think they're snubbing the atmosphere.

However, there were some of you who believed that Van de Ven and Spence were wrong to shun Thomas Frank.

Richard: The two players should apologise publicly for the disrespect they showed both towards the manager and the fans. For highly paid professional players to act in that manner is wrong.

Merv: It's not right when players disrespect their manager, regardless of how they are feeling. A public show of dissent sends out the wrong message about the morale within the club.

This is your Spurs page. Make sure you're signed in and hit 'follow' at the top of this page to ensure updates appear on your BBC Sport home page.

If you're on the app, hit the bell icon and select news notifications to get the best content sent directly to your device.

How much can be made of the start a team makes?

Is 10 games still too early to pass judgement or, with just over a quarter of the Premier League season gone, is the tone already set for the rest of the campaign?

Well, for fans of Newcastle and Tottenham it could be the former rather than the latter.

While 18 of the 20 teams in the top flight last season (90%) finished within five places of where they were after 10 games, and a quarter finished exactly where they were after those first 10, Newcastle and Spurs witnessed the biggest difference.

After a slower start left them in the bottom half of the table in 11th, the Magpies found their form and ultimately moved up six places in the table to finish fifth and secure a spot in the Champions League.

This term, Eddie Howe's side are 13th after 10 games but memories of last season should offer fans optimism their team knows how to overcome a slower start and will find their rhythm later down the line.

For Spurs however, last year paints a different picture.

After a fast start had them well-placed in seventh, their domestic season took a well-documented nose-dive to finish one place above the relegation zone in 17th - two points short of the historical 40-point marker often targeted by teams to stay up.

While factors including injuries and a focus on the Europa League played a part, their current position of fifth amid question marks around home form and how to juggle European football, fans could be concerned about a similar pattern emerging this season.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Tottenham and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Colin: There is something wrong with Spurs' mentality when they play Chelsea. I don't know why this is as I'm not convinced by Chelsea this season and other teams have coped much better against them so we should have been in a better position to win or at least get a draw. Very disappointing against an average Chelsea team.

Joe: Absolute rubbish. No fight, no aggression, no cohesion, no ideas, no intelligence, no desire, no pride... absolutely nothing other than an embarrassing and shameful display by over-paid professionals. If this is the future of Spurs, then there is no future.

Neil: Nothing positive about that performance against Chelsea……nothing! I was bored watching us lose to Aston Villa and we have been rank rotten in the games against Bodo, Villarreal and Monaco. We flattered to deceive against Leeds and have only two or three decent performances all season (Burnley, Man City and Everton). I'm not convinced Frank is the man to take us forward, I think he was at his level at Brentford and I think things have the capacity to get an awful lot worse - the Chelsea game has now stripped me of all hope for a positive season!

Paul: Tottenham's defence looks fairly solid at the moment, conceding only eight goals from 10 Premier League matches, which must be a plus for Thomas Frank. The midfield is sadly disjointed and unable to create chances for any attacking forwards. Once the midfield has some creativity, we can create the chances. I personally think we need a 20-goal a season forward.

Jon: I am sick to death of spending both time and money going to watch a group of players who simply can't be bothered. A pathetic and abject performance - again - that was a complete waste of my effort and a complete lack of theirs.

• Find and follow your club here

Chelsea fans

Jack: You love to see it. Bullying Tottenham for 90 minutes and getting some much needed positive energy under our wings. Loved Enzo Maresca's tactical response to the long throw-ins. The win hasn't solved any/all of our problems, but it certainly gives us the energy and morale to keep pushing on.

Declan: An excellent all-round performance, and the perfect response to the defeat by Sunderland last week. Very sound tactically, even managing to counter the long throw that has hurt us in recent weeks. Solid defensively with a standout performance from Moises Caicedo. The only minor criticism is that we didn't convert more than one of numerous chances meaning a nervy finish when we should have been clear by some margin.

Scott: Chelsea showed another side to their character in this game, bottle and grit. Should have been three or four as Spurs were poor. No idea what to expect game to game but more of this please, Maresca.

Chris: Another underwhelming performance against an abject Spurs team. The chances we wasted was criminal and against a better team we would have been punished. The defence, again, looked liked they had just met each other! Maresca is leading a charmed life at present but better teams will expose him and his tactics!

Nick: Apart from some wasteful finishing a thoroughly competent and gutsy performance. Chelsea never looked like conceding a goal, were commanding in midfield and created umpteen chances up front. Caicedo was immense and, surprise surprise, we still had 11 players on the pitch at the end. "Can we play you every week?"

Tottenham and Manchester United are closely monitoring 23-year-old England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, who Everton do not want to sell and value at around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

Meanwhile, Spurs will go head to head with Chelsea to sign Porto's 21-year-old Spanish striker Samu Aghehowa, who could be made available for 80m euros (£70.5m). (Correio da Manha via Goal), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport