Micky van de Ven believes Tottenham Hotspur are just as good as Arsenal in one area despite yesterday’s North London Derby defeat.
It was yet another chaotic clash between Tottenham and Arsenal which saw Ange Postecoglou’s side gift their rivals three first-half goals.
Spurs fans would have feared the worst after heading into the break 3-0 down against an in-form Arsenal side.
Tottenham bounced back after a disappointing half and set up a nervy finale for Mikel Arteta’s title contenders.
However, it proved to be too little too late for the Lilywhites, with Arsenal securing a 3-2 win on the day.
Despite the defeat, Micky van de Ven feels Tottenham matched their rivals in one key area on Sunday.
Van de Ven says Tottenham are just as good as Arsenal in one area
Van de Ven, who had a leveller ruled out in the first half by the VAR, believes Spurs are equal to Arsenal when it comes to their general play.
But the Dutchman admitted that Arteta’s men were clinical in front of goal on Sunday and feels that was the difference between the two sides.
“I don’t think in the football part we are worse than Arsenal,” the 22-year-old told The Guardian. “I wouldn’t say we have that problem. But you see their goals and they were ruthless. They took every chance that they had and that makes the difference.”
Tottenham punished after poor defending in North London Derby
It sounds bizarre to say that Spurs were largely the better side in the opening 45 minutes. Yet, they trailed 3-0 at the break.
Cristian Romero had opportunities while Van de Ven’s effort was chalked off by the VAR just minutes before Bukayo Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead.
Spurs failed to get the basics right on the day and conceded from two corners, as well as one goal in transition.
For all their good moments, Tottenham have consistently struggled with set-pieces this season and it’s become a cause for concern.
Postecoglou’s men can feel hard done by after Dejan Kulusevski had an appeal for a penalty turned down by the VAR shortly before Saka’s goal.
However, they lost the game as they failed to deal with Arsenal’s threat from set-pieces.
It’s clear that Spurs are very much a work in progress under Postecoglou at the moment and despite a disappointing afternoon, there are signs they are heading in the right direction.
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